title: Facet effect of single-crystalline Ag3PO4 sub-microcrystals on photocatalytic properties.
abstract: We recently reported that Ag(3)PO(4) exhibits excellent photooxidative capabilities for O(2) evolution from water and organic dye decomposition under visible-light irradiation. However, very little is known about the shape and facet effects of Ag(3)PO(4) crystals on their photocatalytic properties. Herein we have developed a facile and general route for high-yield fabrication of single-crystalline Ag(3)PO(4) rhombic dodecahedrons with only {110} facets exposed and cubes bounded entirely by {100} facets. Moreover, studies of their photocatalytic performance have indicated that rhombic dodecahedrons exhibit much higher activities than cubes for the degradation of organic contaminants, which may be primarily ascribed to the higher surface energy of {110} facets (1.31 J/m(2)) than of {100} facets (1.12 J/m(2)).
authors.affiliation: International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) and Photocatalytic Materials Center, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan.
authors.forename: Yingpu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Shuxin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Umezawa
authors.forename: Junyu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Jinhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye