Preparation and Photocatalytic Performance of Dumbbell Ag(2)CO(3)–ZnO Heterojunctions

[Image: see text] Dumbbell Ag(2)CO(3)–ZnO heterojunctions were synthesized for the first time via a simple in situ precipitation method. The as-prepared Ag(2)CO(3)–ZnO heterojunction showed high photocatalytic activity in the decomposition of methyl orange aqueous solution under simulated solar irradiation. The high improvement of photocatalytic activity compared to that of pure ZnO can be attributed to the formation of the Ag(2)CO(3)–ZnO heterojunction. Furthermore, the mechanism of photocatalytic activity was investigated in detail. The free radical trapping experiments indicated that the superoxide radical (·O(2)(–)) was an important active species in the photocatalytic process. This paper provides a new prospect for the preparation of photocatalysts with high catalytic performance in the degradation of dye wastewater.