Ag 3 PO 4 nanocrystals and g-C 3 N 4 quantum dots decorated Ag 2 WO 4 nanorods: ternary nanoheterostructures for photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants in water.

Visible-light-driven Ag 3 PO 4 /graphite-like carbon nitride/Ag 2 WO 4 photocatalysts with different weight fractions of Ag 3 PO 4 were synthesized. Ag 2 WO 4 nanorods with a scale of 500 nm to 3 μm were prepared by using a hydrothermal reaction. Via a facile deposition-precipitation technique, graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) quantum dots and Ag 3 PO 4 nanocrystals were then deposited onto the surface of Ag 2 WO 4 nanorods sequentially. Under visible-light irradiation ( λ > 420 nm), the Ag 3 PO 4 /g-C 3 N 4 /Ag 2 WO 4 nanorods degraded Rh B efficiently and displayed much higher photocatalytic activity than that of pure Ag 2 WO 4 and the g-C 3 N 4 /Ag 2 WO 4 composite, and the Ag 3 PO 4 /g-C 3 N 4 /Ag 2 WO 4 hybrid photocatalyst with 30 wt% of Ag 3 PO 4 exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity. The quenching effects of different scavengers demonstrated that reactive h + and ·O 2- played the major roles in Rh B degradation. It was elucidated that the excellent photocatalytic activity of Ag 3 PO 4 /g-C 3 N 4 /Ag 2 WO 4 for the degradation of Rh B under visible light ( λ > 420 nm) can be ascribed to the efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes through the Ag 3 PO 4 /g-C 3 N 4 /Ag 2 WO 4 heterostructure.