Facile synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/WO3 nanoplates composites with enhanced photocatalytic activity

•The rGO/WO3 composites were synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method.•The photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue was investigated.•The mechanism for enhanced photocatalytic activity was discussed.

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/WO3 nanoplates composites were synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis diffuse reflectance absorption spectra (DRS), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and photoluminescence spectra (PL). The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) by the rGO/WO3 composites was investigated and optimized, suggesting the optimal amount of rGO in the composite was 15 wt%. The significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity of rGO/WO3 composites could be attributed to the excellent accepting and transporting electrons properties of rGO.