A newly-designed polyoxometalate-based plasmonic visible-light catalyst for the photodegradation of methyl blue

A newly-designed polyoxometalate (POM)-based plasmonic visible-light catalyst, Ag/AgxH4−xSiW12O40 (Ag/AgHSiW) nanoparticles (NPs), is prepared by a green photoreduction strategy without the addition of any surfactant. The Ag/AgHSiW NPs, which possess abundant hydroxyl (OH) groups on their surface, has not only significantly enhanced visible spectrum absorption but also reduced photoluminescence (PL) emission. Compared with P25, Ag NPs, H4SiW12O40 (HSiW) and Ag4SiW12O40 (AgSiW), the Ag/AgHSiW photocatalyst shows high photocatalytic activity and stability for the decomposition of methyl blue (MB) under visible light irradiation, which could be attributed to highly synergic effect of photoexcited AgHSiW and plasmon-excited Ag NPs.

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► A new visible-light driven photocatalyst Ag/AgxH4−xSiW12O40 was designed.
► This photocatalyst shows a high activity for the degradation of MB.
► The high activity could be attributed to the synergy of AgHSiW and Ag.