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Ternary Reduced Graphene Oxide/g‐C 3 N 4 /Ag‐AgCl Nanocomposites for Controlled Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Selectivity
Author(s) -
Shen Tingting,
Lang Di,
Cheng Feiyue,
Xiang Quanjun
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemistryselect
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 34
ISSN - 2365-6549
DOI - 10.1002/slct.201600041
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , graphene , materials science , ternary operation , oxide , visible spectrum , selectivity , methyl orange , nanocomposite , chemical engineering , band gap , photochemistry , nanotechnology , catalysis , optoelectronics , chemistry , organic chemistry , metallurgy , computer science , engineering , programming language
Abstract The ternary reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/g‐C 3 N 4 /Ag‐AgCl composite photocatalysts were prepared by a combined deposition‐precipitation and in situ photoreduction method. The prepared ternary graphene‐semiconductor‐metal nanocomposite photocatalysts exhibit controlled photocatalytic selectivity and high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) solution under visible‐light irradiation. Significantly, the controlled photocatalytic selectivity of rGO/g‐C 3 N 4 /Ag‐AgCl (GCA) composites towards MO and MB can be modulated by the introduction or elimination of Ag‐AgCl and/or rGO sheets for tuning their surface charges and adsorption properties. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of GCA sample was indeed improved due to the ecient separation of photo‐generated carriers in the GCA composite, which could be attributed to the suitable band gap structure of g‐C 3 N 4 /Ag‐AgCl (CA) and the well electronic mobility of rGO sheets. The proposed mechanism for the controlled visible‐light photocatalytic selectivity and the enhanced photocatalytic activity of GCA composite was further confirmed by the trapping experiments, PL spectroscopy and transient photoelectric current response. This work may provide a new practical insight into the fabrication of innovative photocatalysts with the controlled selectivity and enhanced photocatalytic activity for environmental purification, clear energy production and solar energy conversion.