Nanorod bundle-like silver cyanamide nanocrystals for the high-efficiency photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

Silver cyanamide (Ag(2)NCN) is a type of functional semiconductor material with a visible-light response. Ag(2)NCN nanocrystals with nanorod bundle-like (RB) or straw bundle-like (SB) assemblies were successfully prepared, and it was found that the as-prepared Ag(2)NCN nanorod bundle (RB) samples had a narrower bandgap of 2.16 eV, which was lower than those reported. As a result, RB samples demonstrated a higher photocatalytic activity towards tetracycline (TC) degradation. The analyses of active species confirmed that both the photo-generated holes and ˙O(2)(−) radicals of the RB sample played significant roles during the process of photocatalytic degradation of TC, and the holes were the main active species. These results indicated that effective charge separation could be achieved by adjusting the morphologies of Ag(2)NCN nanocrystals. This study provides a new approach to prepare Ag(2)NCN nanocrystals with a narrower bandgap and strong visible-light response towards antibiotic degradation.