Synthesis and photocatalytic performance of Ag/AgCl/ZnO tetrapod composites

Ag/AgCl is a visible-light plasmonic photocatalyst that has attracted considerable attention because of its high visible-light absorption and activity owing to the surface plasmon resonance of noble-metal nanoparticles. In this study, Ag/AgCl/ZnO tetrapod composite was prepared by introducing ZnO tetrapods into Ag/AgCl prepared by a polydopamine reduction route. Ag/AgCl was densely deposited on the three-dimensional support framework provided by the ZnO tetrapods. The framework possessed a certain degree of porosity, thereby improving the specific surface area of the Ag/AgCl/ZnO composite. The interaction of ZnO with Ag/AgCl further increased the separation and transfer of electron–hole pairs. The Ag/AgCl/ZnO composite showed excellent photocatalytic activity and good stability. Under xenon lamp irradiation for 20 min, degradation of rhodamine B reached 90%. After four recycling tests, degradation remained stable without any sign of reduction. Ag/AgCl/ZnO tetrapod composite is shown to be a kind of green photocatalyst offering high activity, good stability, and recyclability.