Visible light photocatalytic degradation of herbicide (Atrazine) using surface plasmon resonance induced in mesoporous Ag-WO₃/SBA-15 composite

Atrazine is one of the most extensively used herbicides. Being non-biodegradable in nature, it has a long half-life in water and hence it is prone to contaminate the water bodies and even seeps into the ground to pollute underground water. In this study, we developed a photocatalytic method for the degradation of Atrazine in water samples. Highly ordered mesoporous Ag-WO₃/SBA-15 composites were tested as photocatalysts for the degradation of atrazine in water. It was found that 40% WO₃ loading rendered an optimum surface area and material content in the SBA-15 template and hence favored the enhanced photocatalytic degradation of atrazine in water. The further addition of Ag onto the WO₃/SBA-15 composite not only made this catalyst very effective in the most sought visible region due to solar energy harvesting, but also significantly reduced the electron hole recombination as evidenced by photoluminescence studies to enhance the degradation efficiency. As a result, the Ag-WO₃/SBA-15 composite the photo-catalytic degradation of atrazine in water under visible radiation was significantly enhanced.