Silver Nanoparticle-Modified Black Phosphorus for Photocatalytic Properties

Single-element phosphorus is an emerging class of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor materials that has attracted extensive attention, particularly as a photocatalyst material. However, the inherent instability of elemental phosphorus causes insufficient surface activity for photocatalytic performance. In this study, the self-adsorption and clustering of metal ions on the surface of 2D materials were exploited to form Ag nanoparticle (NP)-modified black phosphorus (BP-Ag) heterostructures, which passivated the lone-pair electrons of phosphorus, promoted charge separation, and enhanced the photocatalytic activity. Consequently, the photocatalytic decomposition of methyl orange with BP-Ag was 99.05%, which was 1.87 times higher than that of pure black phosphorus. Within 3 h, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution efficiency of BP modified by Ag NPs was about 20 times that of BP. In addition, the decomposition of dye molecules was investigated using active substances, such as hydroxyl radicals, superoxide radicals, and holes. In conclusion, the modification of metal NPs can greatly improve the stability and photocatalytic performance of single-element phosphorus materials, which has good application prospects for purifying dye wastewater and hydrogen evolution.