Fabrication of metal/semiconductor hybrid Ag/AgInO2 nanocomposites with enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic properties

Abstract

Recently, exploration of the potential application of heterogeneous photocatalysis has attracted significant interest in the fields of environmental remediation and energy conversion. The metal–semiconductor hybrid nanostructures play very important roles in solar-to-chemical energy conversion due to their unique optical characteristics and catalytic properties. In this study, a novel photocatalyst constructed using Ag and AgInO₂ was developed to improve the visible-light-driven properties. The photocatalytic efficiency of Ag/AgInO₂ for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) reached 97.8%, which was much higher than that of pure AgInO₂. Characterization results show that the as-prepared nanocomposites can not only broaden the visible-light absorption range but also promote the separation of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Trapping experiments confirmed that superoxide radicals (˙O²⁻) and holes (h⁺) were the predominant contributors in the degradation of the organic dye MB. These encouraging results provide an alternative approach for the development of metal–semiconductor hybrid nanostructures towards improving the efficiency of solar-energy utilization in the near future.