A Synergistic Approach to Photocatalysis: Combining Dipole Modulation with LSPR in SubPc-4/Ag3PO4 Nanoarrays

Leveraging the synergistic combination of dipole modulation and localized surface plasmon resonance effects (LSPR) effects offers a promising solution to address the low carrier separation efficiency observed at traditional Type-III heterojunction interfaces. Herein, a derivative of SubPc-4 with a high dipole moment of 7.25 Debye was successfully synthesized by introducing carbonyl functional groups axially into the parent subphthalocyanine. Silver metal was introduced during the preparation of Ag 3 PO 4 through light irradiation, and the organic supramolecule SubPc-4 self-assembled on the Ag 3 PO 4 semiconductor surface via van der Waals forces and π-π stacking interactions, forming a binary heterojunction SubPc-4/Ag 3 PO 4 with LSPR effects. Under 30   minutes of visible light irradiation, the degradation efficiencies of tetracycline and oxytetracycline by the SubPc-4/Ag 3 PO 4 supramolecular nanoarray were 88.29% and 90.20%, respectively. DFT and TDDFT calculations, combined with experimental characterization data, indicate that the LSPR supramolecular array exhibits excellent activity and stability, primarily attributed to the improved carrier separation capability at the SubPc-4/Ag 3 PO 4 interface. This work highlights the potential of combining dipole modulation and LSPR technology to enhance the performance of Type-III heterojunction photocatalysts.