A 3D AgCl hierarchical superstructure synthesized by a wet chemical oxidation method.

A novel 3D AgCl hierarchical superstructure, with fast growth along the 〈111〉 directions of cubic seeds, is synthesized by using a wet chemical oxidation method. The morphological structures and the growth process are investigated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The crystal structures are analyzed by their crystallographic orientations. The surface energy of AgCl facets {100}, {110}, and {111} with absorbance of Cl(-) ions is studied by density functional theory calculations. Based on the experimental and computational results, a plausible mechanism is proposed to illustrate the formation of the 3D AgCl hierarchical superstructures. With more active sites, the photocatalytic activity of the 3D AgCl hierarchical superstructures is better than those of concave and cubic ones in oxygen evolution under irradiation by visible light.