Large-scale preparation and morphology-dependent photodegradation performances of monodispersed AgBr crystals

The physicochemical properties of semiconductor catalysts depend intensively on their morphologies. Herein, three typical AgBr catalysts with well-defined spherical, cubic and octahedral shape were synthesized in a large scale through a facile ion exchange procedure controlled by a computerized double-jet apparatus. The as-synthesized monodispersed AgBr crystals were systematically characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV–vis diffuse reflection spectra (DRS). To clarify the relationship between photodegradation activities and structures, photodegradation performances of the AgBr crystals were evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation. The results demonstrated that the octahedral AgBr crystals exposed with {1 1 1} facets exhibited the highest photodegradation efficiency. Consequently, the present work is going to be instructive to develop the high efficient AgBr and other semiconductor photocatalysts for practical applications in the future.

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► Monodispersed spherical, cubic and octahedral AgBr crystals were synthesized.
► Photodegradation performances were evaluated by decomposing Rhodamine B and methyl orange.
► AgBr octahedrons enclosed with {1 1 1} facets possessed the highest activities.