Preparation of a magnetic graphene oxide–Ag3PO4 composite photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation

Magnetic graphene oxide–Ag3PO4 (MGO–Ag3PO4) nanocomposites were prepared by a facile method, and used as photocatalysts for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) in water under visible light irradiation. The MGO–Ag3PO4 hybrids were characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The results indicated that the as-prepared samples exhibited an enhanced photoactivity toward MB degradation compared to bare Ag3PO4. Further study showed that the dominate radicals was the photogenerated holes in the degradation process of MB. GO can suppress the recombination of electron–hole pairs, and improve the photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, the composites can be separated easily by an external magnet. At the same time, the MGO–Ag3PO4 composite exhibited higher stability compared to Ag3PO4.