Rapid fabrication of silver–cuprous oxide core–shell nanowires for visible light photocatalysts

We report a new method that enables fabrication of Ag–Cu₂O core–shell nanowires (NWs) by using pulsed ultraviolet laser light to irradiate a mixed aqueous copper acetate and Ag NW solution. Multiple experimental characterization techniques indicate that laser irradiation can induce both rapid (0.5–6 min) and controllable growth of Cu₂O (20–150 nm) on the Ag NWs. Finite-difference time-domain simulations and mechanism analyses show that the good photocatalytic properties of the Ag–Cu₂O core–shell NWs are related to the enhanced visible light absorption caused by localized surface plasmon resonance and the improved electron–hole separation efficiency caused by the Ag–Cu₂O Schottky junction.