Graphene oxide wrapped Ag 3 PO 4 sub-microparticles with highly enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability under visible light irradiation

Abstract Graphene oxide (GO) wrapped Ag 3 PO 4 sub-microparticles were prepared by in situ deposition–precipitation method. By hybridization of Ag 3 PO 4 with GO nanosheets, a 6-fold enhancement in the photodegradation rate toward orange methyl (MO) under visible light irradiation ( λ ≥ 420 nm) was observed compared with the pure Ag 3 PO 4 sub-microsparticles. The hybrid photocatalysts also exhibited excellent stability in the successive MO degradation experiments. The highly enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability were mainly attributed to the quick transfer of the photogenerated electrons from Ag 3 PO 4 to GO nanosheets, which could effectively suppress the electron–hole pairs recombination and thus inhibit the photocorrosion of Ag 3 PO 4 . These high-efficient and stable hybrid photocatalysts were expected to show considerable potential applications in wastewater treatment and water splitting.