Issue 60, 2016, Issue in Progress

Controlling the morphology and composition of Ag/AgBr hybrid nanostructures and enhancing their visible light induced photocatalytic properties

Abstract

Here, we report a simple and fast synthetic route to Ag/AgBr hybrid nanostructures prepared by reducing AgBr nanoparticles synthesized by the reaction of Ag+ with Br in the presence of polyethyleneimine (PEI). By controlling the experimental conditions including reaction temperature and amount of reducing agent, we could easily control the morphology and composition of a variety of Ag/AgBr hybrid nanostructures including Ag nanoparticles decorated with AgBr nanoparticles and hollow cage-like Ag-rich nanostructures. The Ag/AgBr hybrid nanostructures exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity and recyclability for decomposing methylene blue (MB) under visible-light illumination because of a small bandgap (2.6 eV) and strong SPR effect. In particular, we found that the Ag/AgBr hybrid nanostructures showed a photocatalytic reaction rate that was 1000 times faster than commercial TiO2 (P-25). In addition, the Ag/AgBr hybrid nanostructures had a higher photocatalytic activity compared to Ag/AgCl hybrid nanostructures towards the decomposition of methyl orange (MO) under visible light illumination.

Graphical abstract: Controlling the morphology and composition of Ag/AgBr hybrid nanostructures and enhancing their visible light induced photocatalytic properties

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
05 Apr 2016
Accepted
30 May 2016
First published
01 Jun 2016

RSC Adv., 2016,6, 54709-54717

Controlling the morphology and composition of Ag/AgBr hybrid nanostructures and enhancing their visible light induced photocatalytic properties

A. Shahzad, T. Yu and W. Kim, RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 54709 DOI: 10.1039/C6RA08682A

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