Novel
AgI/Ag
2
Mo
2
O
7
heterojunctions
were prepared by reacting Ag
2
Mo
2
O
7
microrods with an aqueous KI solution at room temperature. The composite
materials, compared with neat AgI and Ag
2
Mo
2
O
7
, showed much higher activities in the photocatalytic
degradation of aqueous rhodamine B, methyl orange, tetracycline hydrochloride,
and levofloxacin solutions under visible-light irradiation. The structures,
morphologies, and other physicochemical properties of AgI, Ag
2
Mo
2
O
7
, and AgI/Ag
2
Mo
2
O
7
composites were studied via various characterization
techniques. The active species involved in the photocatalytic process
were examined via radical-capturing experiments and electron spin
resonance. Superoxide anion radicals (
•
O
2
–
) and photogenerated holes (h
+
) were
found to be the main active species. Photocatalytic mechanisms were
proposed and reasons for the enhanced photocatalytic activity were
explained.