Synthesis of ZnO/Ag/graphene composite and its enhanced photocatalytic efficiency

Highlights: ► ZnO/Ag/graphene composite was synthesized via a facile aqueous reaction. ► ZnO/Ag composite nanoparticles are anchored on a two-dimensional graphene sheet. ► Enhanced photocatalytic efficiency was obtained compared to ZnO/Ag composite. ► The composite shows excellent stability after four photodegradation cycling runs. - Abstract: ZnO/Ag/graphene composite was synthesized via a facile low-temperature aqueous solution reaction. The morphology and crystal phase of the obtained samples were well characterized by SEM, TEM, and XRD. The results indicated that ZnO/Ag nanoparticles (NPs) are anchored on the two-dimensional graphene sheet. The photocatalytic trials confirmed that the ZnO/Ag/graphene composite exhibited improved photocatalytic efficiency compared with the ZnO/Ag NPs and pristine ZnO NPs. The increased photocatalytic activity of ZnO/Ag/graphene was attributed to the effective charge separation and the suppressed recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Moreover, the ZnO/Ag/graphene sample showed excellent stability after four photodegradation cycling runs.