A Novel Ag3PO4/Ag/Ag2Mo2O7 Nanowire Photocatalyst: Ternary Nanocomposite for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Ag3PO4/Ag/Ag2Mo2O7 composite photocatalyst was successfully prepared via an in situ precipitation method. The as-prepared Ag3PO4/Ag/Ag2Mo2O7 nanocomposite included Ag3PO4 nanoparticles (NPs) as well as Ag NPs assembling on the surface of Ag2Mo2O7 nanowires. Under visible light irradiation (lambda>420 nm), the Ag3PO4/Ag/Ag2Mo2O7 composite degraded rhodamine B (Rh B) efficiently and showed much higher photocatalytic efficiency than pure Ag3PO4, Ag2Mo2O7, or Ag3PO4/Ag2Mo2O7. It was elucidated that the excellent photocatalytic performance of Ag3PO4/Ag/Ag2Mo2O7 for the degradation of Rh B under visible light could be ascribed to the high specific surface area, the extended absorption in the visible light region resulting from the Ag3PO4/Ag loading, and the efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes through the ternary heterostrucure composed of Ag3PO4, Ag and Ag2Mo2O7.