Silver-based visible light–responsive photocatalysts

Heterogeneous photocatalysis under visible light is of paramount significance to solar energy harvesting and conversion. Among the various photocatalytic materials, silver (Ag)-based photocatalysts are of particular interest in that (i) Ag nanoparticles are responsive to visible light in a wide range due to the localized surface plasmon resonance effect, and (ii) most of the Ag-based semiconductors could absorb visible light with the bandgaps lower than 3 eV, making them outstanding candidates for solar energy utilization. In the past few years, great efforts have been taken to extend visible light absorption, boost photocatalytic efficiency, and improve photochemical stability of Ag-based photocatalysts. In this work, we briefly summarize the recent advances in the Ag-based photocatalysts, including Ag-based plasmonic photocatalysts and Ag-based semiconductor photocatalysts. We hope this will bring some insightful understanding and directions for the development of visible light–driven photocatalysts in future.