For an economical use of solar energy, photocatalysts that are sufficiently efficient, stable, and capable of harvesting light are required. Composite heterostructures composed of noble metals and semiconductors exhibited the excellent in catalytic application. Here, 1D Ag/Au/AgCl hollow heterostructures are synthesized by galvanic replacement reaction (GRR) from Ag nanowires (NWs). The catalytic properties of these as-obtained Ag/Au/AgCl hollow heterostructures with different ratios are investigated by reducing 4-nitrophenol (Nip) into 4-aminophenol (Amp) in the presence of NaBH4, and the influence of AgCl semiconductor to the catalytic performances of Ag/Au bimetals is also investigated. These hollow heterostructures show the higher catalytic properties than pure Ag NWs, and the AgCl not only act as supporting materials, but the excess AgCl is also the obstacle for contact of Ag/Au bimetals with reactive species. Moreover, the photocatalytic performances of these hollow heterostructures are carried out by degradation of acid orange 7 (AO7) under UV and visible light. These Ag/Au/AgCl hollow heterostructures present the higher photocatalytic activities than pure Ag NWs and commercial TiO2 (P25), and the Ag/Au bimetals enhance the photocatalytic activity of AgCl semiconductor via the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and plasmon resonance energy transfer (PRET) mechanisms. The as-synthesized 1D Ag/Au/AgCl hollow heterostructures with multifunction could apply in practical environmental remedy by catalytic manners.

Understanding the correlation between physicochemical properties and morphology of nanostructures is a prerequisite for widespread applications of nanomaterials in environmental application areas. Herein, we illustrated that the uniform-sized SnO₂@C hollow nanoparticles were large-scale synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The size of the core-shell hollow nanoparticles was about 56 nm, and the shell was composed of a solid carbon layer with a thickness of 2 ~ 3 nm. The resulting products were characterized in terms of morphology, composition, and surface property by various analytical techniques. Moreover, the SnO₂@C hollow nanoparticles are shown to be effective adsorbents for removing four different dyes from aqueous solutions, which is superior to the pure hollow SnO₂ nanoparticles and commercial SnO₂. The enhanced mechanism has also been discussed, which can be attributed to the high specific surface areas after carbon coating.

Promoting the charge migration and separation efficiency of iodine-intercalated Bi₂O₂CO₃ is an appealing strategy to improve its photocatalytic performance.

The band structure of BiOBr nanosheets is regulated by the oxygen vacancies and VO ₄ ³⁻ ions replacement. The BiOBr nanosheets possess defective states and a more negative conduction band potential, promoting visible-light photocatalytic activity.