Plasmonic ternary Ag-rGO-Bi2MoO6 composites with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic activity

•A novel plasmonic ternary Ag-rGO-Bi2MoO6 photocatalyst was prepared.•The composite showed excellent photocatalytic degradation of phenol.•The physiochemical properties of prepared samples were explored.•A possible mechanism was proposed and comprehensively studied.

Bi2MoO6 photocatalysts were hybridized with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and Ag via solvothermal chemical reduction processes and photoreduction for the first time. The prepared ternary composites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity with respect to the removal of organic pollutants in wastewater under visible light irradiation. The resistance to electron transfer in Ag-rGO-Bi2MoO6 was decreased to 1/16 that of pure Bi2MoO6, which confirms an excellent separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The reduced rate of electron-hole recombination may be attributed to the synergetic effects among Ag nanoparticles, rGO, and Bi2MoO6. Electrons accumulated on the conduction band of Bi2MoO6 may be either trapped by Ag or transferred to the rGO layer. Ag nanoparticles on the surface may harvest additional visible light photons via surface plasmonic resonance.

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