A distinctive red Ag/AgCl photocatalyst with efficient photocatalytic oxidative and reductive activities

Abstract

Optical absorption, as the fundamental requirement of photocatalysts, still has immense space for development. Herein, we design a novel kind of red Ag/AgCl photocatalyst, by which a large improvement of visible-light harvesting was obtained. These strongly coloured semiconductor materials can be facilely prepared using a versatile glycerol-mediated method and exhibit a uniform coaxial tri-cubic morphology. The enhancement of optical absorption is not only ascribed to the synergy of Ag and AgCl but also attributed to the Mie scattering effect due to the distinct morphology. As expected, the as-prepared red Ag/AgCl photocatalysts exhibit highly enhanced photocatalytic activities in the degradation of organic dyes, reduction of hexavalent chromium and conversion of CO₂ into liquid hydrocarbon fuels. By means of theoretical calculations, furthermore, this work provides an in-depth perspective for understanding the physical photocatalytic mechanism of the red Ag/AgCl system and should stimulate the development of silver halide-based photocatalysts for the exploitation and utilization of solar energy.