Photodegradation of acenaphthylene over plasmonic Ag/Ag3PO4 nanopolyhedrons synthesized via in-situ reduction

We report a simple strategy to synthesize the Ag3PO4 nanopolyhedrons with regular morphology and uniform size under mild conditions. The photocatalytic properties of the composite were optimized by adjusting the content of Ag nanoparticles. The as-prepared photocatalysts were characterized and the photocatalytic performances were evaluated by the degradation of acenaphthylene (ANY) under visible-light illumination. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of appropriate Ag nanoparticles was generated on surface under visible light irradiation, which enhanced the absorption and utilization of visible light. At the same time, the conductivity of Ag promoted the separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers, provided active sites for the reaction, and enhanced the photocatalytic degradation efficiency through the generation of active species. As a result, the optimized composite exhibited enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity of 0.03512 min−1 and higher removal rate of 97.3% for ANY (4 times and 1.8 times higher than that of pristine Ag3PO4, respectively), more photogenerated active species (h+ and •O2–) and relatively high stability (4 times of cycle experiments). In addition, the possible degradation pathway of ANY was proposed. The work of this paper has a crucial guiding significance for the working principle and design direction of silver semiconductor composite photocatalysts with surface plasmon effect.