In-situ-precipitation three-dimensional printing and photocatalytic applications of highly ordered interconnected submicron-scale pores in silver atomic cluster–silver chloride photocatalyst structures

Abstract

In this study, a silver atomic cluster(Ag@)/silver chloride photocatalyst structure with high porosity and a highly ordered interconnected three-dimensional (3D) porous network was prepared through a novel in-situ-precipitation 3D printing technique. Photocatalytic dye degradation and the sterilization of Escherichia coli under irradiation with visible light and ultraviolet light revealed that the photocatalyst structure had a strong degradation effect on the aqueous solutions of Orange II azo dye and methylene blue dye (both containing hydrogen peroxide) and that the kinetic properties were consistent with those of a pseudo-first-order kinetics. E. coli was sterilized within a short period, and the kinetics followed those of pseudo-first-order and hyperbolic kinetics. After five repetitions of dye degradation, the degradation rates of the Orange II azo and methylene blue dyes were maintained at approximately 89.8% and 88.2%, respectively, which indicated that the prepared photocatalyst structure had high durability and reliability.