Enhanced synergistic coupling effect of ternary Au/Ag/AgCl nanochains for promoting natural-solar-driven photocatalysis

Silver/silver halides (Ag/AgX, X = Cl, Br, I)-based photocatalysts with tunable energetic synergies have attracted intensive attention in solar-energy-conversion. Herein, we introduce an appealing ternary Au/Ag/AgCl nanochain with short curvilinear necklace-like nanoarchitectures via an ingenious one-step strategy by pulsed laser irradiation of metallic ions in solution. Compared with binary Ag/AgCl nanoparticles (NPs), the ternary nanochains with stronger intermetallic synergy exhibit improved absorbance capacity and enhanced localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) under broad visible-light irradiation. Then, the Au/Ag/AgCl nanochains can obviously accelerate photoinduced electron transfer and boost the separation of electron-hole on their surfaces, providing an excellent photocatalytic activity towards degradation of methylene blue (MB). Meanwhile, the enhanced synergistic coupling effect of the ternary nanocomposites also enables them to inhibit the photocorrosion under visible-light irradiation. Interestingly, compared to monodisperse NPs, the Au/Ag/AgCl nanochains with numerous interconnected NPs can be self-deposited on the bottom of solution after each photocatalytic reaction. Without the aid of extra and complicated nanocatalyst-separation procedures, then the clear-water will be easily obtained. Therefore, the unique photocatalyst possesses pronounced long-term stability, since ~ 97.6% photodegradation rate can be maintained after 14 recycling tests within two weeks. Undoubtedly, these findings will bring new opportunities to prepare high-performance photocatalysts for diverse practical applications.