Preparation, characterization and photocatalytic activity of graphene doped SmVO4 photocatalyst

Graphene(GR)/SmVO4 composite was prepared by a facile mixing-calcination method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, N2 adsorption, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Results showed that SmVO4 nanoparticle adhered on graphene sheet in GR/SmVO4 composite. The photoactivity of the synthesized composite was evaluated by the photodegradation of Rhodamine (RhB). In comparison with pure SmVO4, the graphene/SmVO4 system illustrated much higher photocatalytic activity due to the contribution of GR in RhB adsorption and charge separation. 2% GR/SmVO4 exhibited the highest photocatalytic efficiency with a degradation rate of 0.62 h−1, which is 4 and 1.6 times higher than that of SmVO4 and N-TiO2, respectively.