A facile room-temperature synthesis of three-dimensional coral-like Ag2S nanostructure with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Morphology is a crucial factor in determining the chemical, optical, and electrical properties of nanoscale materials. In this work, we utilized a facile room-temperature deposition method to synthesize three-dimensional (3D) coral-like Ag 2 S nanostructures. The formation mechanism of 3D coral-like Ag 2 S nanostructures was proposed by tracking the reaction process. In comparison with 0D Ag 2 S nanoparticles and 1D Ag 2 S nanowires of similar size, 3D coral-like Ag 2 S nanostructures exhibit higher pore volume, photocatalytic activity and cyclic stability for degradation of methyl orange (MO). Surface photovoltage measurement, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Mott–Schottky analysis showed that compared to other Ag 2 S nanostructures, 3D coral-like Ag 2 S nanostructures have the strongest surface photovoltaic response, longest carrier lifetime, and highest carrier density.