Loading AgCl@Ag on phosphotungstic acid modified macrocyclic coordination compound: Z-scheme photocatalyst for persistent pollutant degradation and hydrogen evolution.

In this work, Z-scheme photocatalysts of (CuC10H26N6)3(PW12O40)2/AgCl@Ag were designed and realized for effective removal of solvable and insolvable persistent organic pollutants and hydrogen evolution under simulated sunlight. The catalysts were synthesized via a simple hydrothermal-chemical co-precipitation method. Excellent photocatalytic abilities are demonstrated in degradations of persistent pollutant 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP) and tetracycline (TC) under simulated sunlight, as well as a high H2 production rate of 19.28 μ mol g−1 h−1. Through structural, morphological, radical, and electrochemical determinations, the photocatalytic mechanism was studied, and attributed to effective separations of charge carriers between the heterojunctional counterparts of (CuC10H26N6)3(PW12O40)2 and AgCl@Ag.