Stable visible light photocatalyst based on the graphene protected Ag₃PO₄ nanocomposite

ABSTRACT

A simple and facial hydrothermal approach has been developed for the preparation of reduced graphene oxide protected Ag₃PO₄ composite (RGO-Ag₃PO₄) visible light photocatalyst. The as-prepared RGO-Ag₃PO₄ composite was characterized using different techniques. Study showed the size of the Ag₃PO₄ particles could be turned by the ratio of Ag⁺ and graphene oxide (GO) in the starting material. DRS analysis revealed that the RGO-Ag₃PO₄ had excellent visible light response. The photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) over RGO-Ag₃PO₄ composite was investigated as a model for analysing its photocatalytic activity. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of RGO-Ag₃PO₄ composite under visible light illumination is due to the high surface area of RGO, which improved absorption of RhB molecules. The RGO also could efficiently separation of photogenerated electron−hole pairs. Moreover, the introduction of RGO into Ag₃PO₄ improved the stability of the composite photocatalyst by reducing the rate of decomposing Ag⁺ to metallic Ag.

KEYWORDS:

• Reduced graphene oxide
• Ag₃PO₄
• Rhodamine B
• Photodegradation
• Composite

Acknowledgments

The research was supported by “Top-quality undergraduate courses” series program of University of Shanghai for Science and Technology.