LAUSR

Abstract Ag–Ag2S hybrid nanostructures are of particular interest because of their novel properties and applications; however, the development of a facile method to synthesize Ag–Ag2S hybrid nanostructures with well-defined heterostructures has remained a great challenge. In the current work, a simple and rapid synthetic approach based on the wet-chemical sulfidation of silver (Ag) nanocrystals was developed to prepare Ag–Ag2S hybrid nanoplates with new heterostructures. The key to achieving the unusual hybrid nanostructures was the use of hexagonal Ag nanoplates with anisotropic shapes, and hence spatially varying chemical reactivity, as seed materials. By adjusting the experimental parameters during the sulfidation reaction, Ag–Ag2S hybrid nanoplates with various compositions and morphologies could be obtained, and the localized surface plasmon resonance properties of the hybrid nanoplates could be tuned. The as-prepared Ag–Ag2S hybrid nanoplates were used as photocatalysts for the decomposition of methylene blue under solar irradiation, and their photocatalytic activities and stabilities were investigated. Finally, a facile chemical treatment strategy involving a galvanic replacement reaction was also developed to enhance the photocatalytic activity of the hybrid nanostructures.