Facile shape-controllable synthesis of Ag3PO4 photocatalysts

• Ag3PO4 crystals with different shapes were fabricated via adjusting the amount of PVP.
• PVP plays important roles in both determining the geometric shape and size of Ag3PO4.
• Cubic Ag3PO4 exhibits superior photocatalytic activity for MB photodegradation.

Ag3PO4 crystals with various morphologies are synthesized using a facile chemical precipitation method. An interesting shape evolution from agglomeration, to cubes, then to mixture of cubes and spheres, and finally to spherical Ag3PO4 can be realized only by tuning the molar ratio of poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) to silver nitrate. During the growth process, PVP acts as not only a stabilizer to prevent the aggregation of the products, but also a shape-controller by selective interacting with the facets of Ag3PO4. The cubic Ag3PO4 exhibits superior photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation due to its larger surface area and easier separation of electron–hole pairs.