Broad spectrum absorption of semiconductor photocatalysts is an essential requirement to achieve the best values of solar energy utilization. Here, through precise surface state adjustment, coaxial tri-cubic Ag0/AgCl materials with distinct apparent colours (blue and fuchsia) were successfully fabricated. The reasons for the different colour generation of the Ag0/AgCl materials were investigated by performing corresponding spectrum analysis. It was revealed that Ag0/AgCl-blue and Ag0/AgCl-fuchsia crystals could efficiently boost the photon energy harvesting, spanning from the UV to near-infrared spectral region (250–800 nm), and achieved 2.6 and 5.4 times the wastewater degradation efficiency of AgCl-white. Simultaneously, these two fresh coloured candidates were demonstrated to have preferable photocatalytic CO2 photoreduction capability, with yields of ∼3.6 (Ag0/AgCl-fuchsia) and 2.6 (Ag0/AgCl-blue) times that of AgCl-white. It is expected that this work will provide a beneficial perspective for understanding the solar absorption feature at both the major structure modulation and particular surface state regulation level.
