A 'concentration-induced self-assembly' strategy for AgxH3−xPMo12O40 nanorods: synthesis, photoelectric properties and photocatalytic applications

Polyoxometalates (POMs) as molecule-based metal oxides have exhibited significant application in catalysis and materials science, but the synthesis of pristine POM nanomaterials still remains a challenge. In this work, we find a novel strategy of concentration-induced self-assembly for gaining pristine POM nanorods AgxH3−xPMo12O40 (denoted as AgHPMo12), which are synthesized only from both POMs and silver ion Ag+ in an aqueous solution at room temperature. The controllable concentrations of the cationic and anionic components in the aqueous solution become the critical factor for the successful synthesis. In addition, the photoelectric properties of AgHPMo12 nanorods were investigated as compared to those of AgHPMo12 particles, indicating a superior photoelectric performance of AgHPMo12 nanorods to AgHPMo12 particles. Furthermore, AgHPMo12 nanorods/phthalocyanine heterojunction photocatalysts were prepared for evaluating photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride, showing an efficient photocatalytic performance due to the advantages of the nanorods and type II heterostructure.