Polymeric layered semiconductor-supported black nano-sandwiches with synergistic photo-thermal catalysis for efficient wastewater decontamination.

[Display omitted] • Construction of polymeric layered semiconductor-supported black nano-sandwiches. • Interbedded plasmonic Ag NPs in nano-sandwiches elevate solar energy conversion. • Synergistic photo-thermal catalysis for boosting decontamination efficiency. • Simultaneous eliminations of organic/antibiotic pollutants are highlighted here. Natural solar-driven synergistic photo-thermal catalytic (PTC) degradation of toxic pollutants provides promising routes for wastewater decontamination. Yet there are no satisfactory nano-catalysts that can simultaneously maximize the utilization of additional significant photo-thermal energy and the contribution of prominent photocatalytic effects. Herein, polymeric layered semiconductor-supported black nano-sandwiches are fabricated by loading dense Ag nanoparticles (NPs) on two-dimensional (2D) graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) and then covering with Ag 2 O nano-layers (NLs). The Ag 2 O@Ag/g-C 3 N 4 nano-sandwiches with improved broadband absorption and thermal conversion possess both enhanced photo-triggered catalytic degradation and pronounced photo-thermal utilization for boosting PTC degradation efficiency. After one-sun light irradiation of 30 min, the nano-products enable the temperature of solution to be elevated from ∼ 20℃ to ∼ 69.5℃, which is higher than that of bare g-C 3 N 4. In this way, the PTC degradation efficiency of antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP) solution is about 8.1 times higher than that of bare g-C 3 N 4 references. Moreover, the high-performance PTC nano-catalysts can be practically applied to the efficient degradations of organic or antibiotic mixtures in actual water samples. The present works highlight the distinctive synergistic effects of nano-sandwiches, promoting wastewater purification in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]