In situ phase transformation synthesis of unique Janus Ag 2 O/Ag 2 CO 3 heterojunction photocatalyst with improved photocatalytic properties

Abstract

Herein, Ag 2 O/Ag 2 CO 3 nanocomposite with unique Janus morphology was synthesized by a facile ion-exchange followed by an in situ phase transformation method with precise control of its nucleation and growth processes. Contrary to conventional synthetic procedures of Janus architectures, the present Janus system was constructed without the need for surfactants or toxic chemicals. Most importantly, the visible-light-absorbing Janus Ag 2 O/Ag 2 CO 3 nanocomposite exhibits a remarkable performance toward the degradation of Rhodamine B and 4-chlorophenol, far superior to that observed for bare Ag 2 CO 3 . The obvious enhancement of the photocatalytic performance of this nanocomposite is mainly attributed to the intimate Ag 2 O/Ag 2 CO 3 interface created by its exceptional Janus architecture, which in turn allows for rapid charge transfer processes. Additionally, the Janus system exhibited a high photostability during recycling experiments with no significant change in the degradation activity.

Ferroelectricity and Schottky Heterojunction Engineering in AgNbO3: A Simultaneous Way of Boosting Piezo-photocatalytic Activity

“…Herein, the free radicals trapping experiments are carried out for 20%KANP to understand the specific role of the reactive species. In this experiment, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), diamine tetraacetate (EDTA-2Na), and benzoquinone (BQ) are selected to respectively trap ·OH, h + , and ·O 2 – , similar to that observed elsewhere . The obtained piezo-photocatalytic activity is shown in Figure c,d, in which the piezo-photocatalytic activity decreases according to the following sequence: BQ > EDTA-2Na > IPA.…”

“…In this experiment, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), diamine tetraacetate (EDTA-2Na), and benzoquinone (BQ) are selected to respectively trap •OH, h + , and •O 2 − , similar to that observed elsewhere. 52 The obtained piezo-photocatalytic activity is shown in Figure 8c,d, in which the piezo-photocatalytic activity decreases according to the following sequence: BQ > EDTA-2Na > IPA. These results suggest that the •O 2 − and h + are the main active oxidative species in the RhB degradation progress over 20%KANP.…”

Janus Nanoparticles: From Fabrication to (Bio)Applications

“…In general, heterojunction refers to the structures consisting of two or more components in essence, which show similarity toward Janus structures. Specifically, the definition of heterojunction covers more than Janus structures, , which combines core–shell structures, , heterotrimer, heternanotetrapod, even two-dimension (2D) structures, etc. , Moreover, the components of heterojunction were not limited to two counterparts and could be extended to three components, , or multicomponents .…”

Review on heterophase/homophase junctions for efficient photocatalysis: The case of phase transition construction

“…Jo et al [198] fabricated a unique Janus Ag2O/Ag2CO3 heterojunction photocatalyst with improved photocatalytic properties using in situ phase transformation, and Zhao et al [199] reported Ag2O/Ag2CO3 3D hollow flower-like hierarchical microspheres, which exhibited improved photocatalytic performance and stability compared to those of bare Ag2CO3. Wang et al [200] fabricated TiO2(B)/anatase heterophase junctions in nanowires via a surface-preferred phase transformation process, i.e., a three-step synthesis method, including hydrothermal treatment, H + exchange, and annealing.…”