Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
44966 | Applied Catalysis B: Environmental | 2016 | 15 Pages |
•Graphene oxide-modified Ag2O/Ag3VO4/AgVO3 composites were prepared at room temperature.•The as-prepared multi-phase composites showed multi-morphological features.•1.2 wt% GO-modified Ag2O/Ag3VO4/AgVO3 showed excellent photocatalytic activity.•GO could partially protect silver species composites from photocorrosion.
A series of graphene oxide-modified, multi-phase Ag2O/Ag3VO4/AgVO3 composites were synthesized via simple procedures at room temperature. Compared to those of pure Ag2O/Ag3VO4/AgVO3, these GO-modified composites exhibited enhanced activities during photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B and methyl orange under visible light illumination. A study of the effect of graphene oxide (GO) addition on photocatalytic performance indicated that 1.2 wt% GO was the optimum quantity. The increased photocatalytic activities of as-prepared GO-modified composites may be attributed to the large surface area possessed by GO as well as its interactions with other species in the multi-phase Ag2O/Ag3VO4/AgVO3 composites during photocatalytic reactions under visible light illumination. From the enhancement in photocatalytic activity, it may be inferred that GO could improve the adsorption and absorption capabilities of the Ag2O/Ag3VO4/AgVO3 composites and promote the separation of electron-hole (e-h) pairs during photocatalytic reactions compared to those of composites without GO addition. Moreover, GO as a modifier was able to partially protect silver species composites from photocorrosion. A possible mechanism was proposed for the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes on the surface of GO-modified Ag2O/Ag3VO4/AgVO3.
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