Novel MOF-Based Photocatalyst AgBr/AgCl@ZIF-8 with Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation and Antibacterial Properties.

A novel visible light-driven AgBr/AgCl@ZIF-8 catalyst was synthesized by a simple and rapid method. The composition and structure of the photocatalyst were characterized by XRD, SEM, UV-DRS, and XPS. It could be observed that the 2-methylimidazole zinc salt (ZIF-8) exhibited the rhombic dodecahedron morphology with the AgCl and AgBr particles evenly distributed around it. The composite photocatalyst AgBr/AgCl@ZIF-8 showed good photocatalytic degradation and antibacterial properties. The degradation rate of RhB solution was 98%, with 60 min of irradiation of visible light, and almost all P. aeruginosaudomonas aeruginosa ( P. aeruginosa ), Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ), and Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) were inactivated under the irradiation of 90 min. In addition, the prepared catalyst had excellent stability and reusability. Based on the free radical capture experiment, ·O 2 - and h + were believed to be the main active substances, and possible photocatalytic degradation and sterilization mechanisms of AgBr/AgCl@ZIF-8 were proposed.