Multicomponent heterojunction of Au-Ag2Se-Pb3(PO4)2 for plasmonic-enhanced photoelectrochemical performance

We present a simple method to construct Au-Ag2Se-Pb-3(PO4)(2) multicomponent heterojunction. Firstly, PbSe nanopartides were electrodeposited onto indium-tin-oxide-coated glass electrodes. Subsequently, the resulting PbSe/ITO electrode was immersed into a solution containing Ag+, PO43-, and surfactant at 60 degrees C for 24 h to form Ag2Se nanoparticles-decorated Pb-3(PO4)(2) nanorods heterojunction. Finally, the electrode was immersed into a solution containing AuCI4-ions to spontaneously grow Au nanoparticles onto the heterojunction. The photocurrent of the Au-Ag2Se-Pb-3(PO4)(2)/ITO photoelectrodes is about 200-fold larger than that of the Ag2Se-Pb-3(PO4)(2)/ITO electrode. The mechanisms of the formation of the heterojunction and the enhancementofthe photocurrentwere discussed.