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Polyhedral AgBr Microcrystals with an Increased Percentage of Exposed {111} Facets as a Highly Efficient Visible‐Light Photocatalyst
Author(s) -
Wang Hua,
Lang Xiufeng,
Gao Jian,
Liu Wei,
Wu Di,
Wu Yongmin,
Guo Lin,
Li Jinghong
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201102694
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , reactivity (psychology) , methyl orange , photodegradation , materials science , photochemistry , catalysis , microstructure , visible spectrum , nanotechnology , chemical engineering , chemistry , organic chemistry , optoelectronics , composite material , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , engineering
Abstract Synthesis of inorganic single crystals with exposed high‐reactivity facets is a desirable target in the catalytic chemistry field. Polyhedral AgBr microcrystals with an increased percentage of exposed high‐reactivity {111} facets have been successfully prepared for the first time, and the photocatalytic performance of these microcrystals when used as an AgBr/Ag plasmonic photocatalyst was investigated. The results indicate that the as‐prepared sample has high photocatalytic activity and, under the same measurement conditions, the photodegradation rate of methyl orange dye over these microcrystals is at least four times faster than with other shapes of AgBr/Ag microstructure, as well as 20 times faster than with the highly efficient Ag 3 PO 4 photocatalyst. DFT calculations suggest that the AgBr (111) surface is mainly composed of unsaturated Ag atoms and has a relatively high surface energy, both of which are favorable for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the AgBr/Ag polyhedron photocatalyst. This work not only provides a highly efficient plasmonic photocatalyst of polyhedral AgBr/Ag microcrystals with an increased percentage of exposed high‐reactivity AgBr {111} facets, but also demonstrates that the shape and crystalline quality of the exposed facets have an important influence on the photocatalytic activities.