Preparation and photocatalytic properties of highly dispersed samarium vanadate nanoparticles supported on H-mordenite composites by template-free method

Photocatalytic application is obstructed by the self-aggregation and low specific surface area of nano materials. High dispersion of SmVO 4 nanoparticles on HMOR zeolite (HMOR) were prepared by template-free method. Not only the agglomeration of nanomaterials is restrained, but also the combination of low-cost zeolite and semiconductor to prepare high-performance photocatalyst is conducive to the rational utilization of resources. Sm(NO 3 ) 3 ·6H 2 O and NH 4 VO 3 were used as precursors, and mixed with HMOR to prepare SmVO 4 /HMOR by precipitation method.. This method does not use any templates and surfactants, realizing the high dispersion of SmVO 4 nanoparticles on the surface of HMOR with the particle size are 17 ∼ 23 nm. The photocatalytic activity of SmVO 4 /HMOR was tested by degradation of rhodamine B (RhB). Compared with the monomer of SmVO 4 , the degradation rate of 29.81 wt% SmVO 4 /HMOR was increased from 33.12 % to 70.99 % under visible light irradiation for 2.5 h. The rate constant k (0.50 h −1 ) was boosted to 2.9 times as much as SmVO 4 monomer (0.17 h −1 ). When 3.7 wt% H 2 O 2 (30 %) was added into the photocatalytic system, the photocatalytic degradation rate could reach 93.26 % within 30 min. The synergistic effect of SmVO 4 and HMOR is critical on the improvement of the removal efficiency of RhB. SmVO 4 in the form of nanoparticles on the HMOR support has high photocatalytic activity. In addition, HMOR acted as electron acceptor to accelerate the transfer efficiency of photoelectrons, inhibiting the recombination of charges and improve the photocatalytic efficiency.