Synergistic enhancement of plasmon induced photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical performance on ZnWO₄/Ag₂O@Ag hybrid-heterostructures

A novel hybrid photocatalyst, ZnWO₄/Ag₂O@Ag heterostructure was synthesized using a simple one-pot microwave treatment with varying concentrations of silver. Physico-chemical characterization was performed to elucidate the synthesized nanohybrids' properties. The photocatalytic activity of both pristine and heterostructure samples was evaluated through the degradation of cationic MB dye. Among the varied Ag concentrations, the 9 % Ag-doped ZnWO₄/Ag₂O heterostructure exhibited superior degradation performance, with a degradation rate of 93 % achieved within 45 min, surpassing both other Ag concentrations (89 % (90 min) for 1 % Ag, 87 % (80 min) for 3 % Ag, 90 % (80 min) for 5 % Ag and 91 % (45 min) for 7 % Ag) and pristine ZnWO₄ (91 % (90 min)) samples. This catalytic enhancement can be attributed to the formation of heterostructures, plasmon-induced absorption enhancement within specific wavelength ranges, and reduced charge recombination rates. UV–visible studies revealed Ag nanoparticles of various sizes in the heterostructures, supported by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peaks at 480 and 550 nm, respectively. Trapping experiments indicated that •OH and •O²⁻ were the active species in MB reduction for pure and heterostructure samples. Furthermore, the hybrid heterostructure samples exhibited high stability and reusability in photocatalytic degradation. These findings suggest that the ZnWO₄/Ag₂O heterostructure photocatalysts are promising candidates for environmental remediation applications.