Efficient photocatalysis with graphene oxide/Ag/Ag2S–TiO2 nanocomposites under visible light irradiation

Abstract

Lack of visible light response and low quantum yield hinder the practical application of TiO₂ as a high-performance photocatalyst. Herein, we present a rational design of TiO₂ nanorod arrays (NRAs) decorated with Ag/Ag₂S nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized through successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) and covered by graphene oxide (GO) at room temperature. Ag/Ag₂S NPs with uniform sizes are well-dispersed on the TiO₂ nanorods (NRs) as evidenced by electron microscopic analyses. The photocatalyst GO/Ag/Ag₂S decorated TiO₂ NRAs shows much higher visible light absorption response, which leads to remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activities on both dye degradation and photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. Its photocatalytic reaction efficiency is 600% higher than that of pure TiO₂ sample under visible light. This remarkable enhancement can be attributed to a synergy of electron-sink function and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag NPs, band matching of Ag₂S NPs, and rapid charge carrier transport by GO, which significantly improves charge separation of the photoexcited TiO₂. The photocurrent density of GO/Ag/Ag₂S–TiO₂ NRAs reached to maximum (i.e. 6.77 mA cm⁻² vs. 0 V). Our study proves that the rational design of composite nanostructures enhances the photocatalytic activity under visible light, and efficiently utilizes the complete solar spectrum for pollutant degradation.