One‐pot self‐assembly and photoreduction synthesis of silver nanoparticle‐decorated reduced graphene oxide/MIL‐125(Ti) photocatalyst with improved visible light photocatalytic activity

In recent years, tremendous research efforts have been made towards developing metal–organic framework (MOF)‐based composites for photocatalytic applications. In this work, bipyramid‐like MIL‐125(Ti) frustum enwrapped with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and dispersed silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) was fabricated using an efficient one‐pot self‐assembly and photoreduction strategy. The as‐obtained materials were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, and X‐ray photoelectron, ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopies. It is found that the as‐prepared Ag/rGO/MIL‐125(Ti) ternary hybrids have large surface area, microporous structure, enhanced visible light absorption and prolonged lifetime of charge carriers. Compared with pure MIL‐125(Ti) and its binary counterparts, the ternary composite exhibits more efficient photocatalytic performance for Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation from water under visible light irradiation. The photodegradation rate of RhB on Ag/rGO/MIL‐125(Ti) is 0.0644 min^?1, which is 1.62 times higher than that of the pure MIL‐125(Ti). The improved photocatalytic performance is ascribed to the indirect dye photosensitization, the Ag NP localized surface plasmon resonance, the Ti³⁺–Ti⁴⁺ intervalence electron transfer and the synergistic effect among MIL‐125(Ti), Ag NPs and rGO. Ag NPs serve as an efficient ‘electron reservoir’ and rGO as an electron transporter and collector. Therefore, this work provides a new pathway into the design of MOF‐based composites for application in environmental and energy fields. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microwave‐Hydrothermal Preparation and Visible‐Light Photoactivity of Plasmonic Photocatalyst Ag‐TiO2 Nanocomposite Hollow Spheres

Visible‐light‐driven plasmonic photocatalyst Ag‐TiO₂ nanocomposite hollow spheres are prepared by a template‐free chemically‐induced self‐transformation strategy under microwave‐hydrothermal conditions, followed by a photochemical reduction process under xenon lamp irradiation. The prepared samples are characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption‐desorption isotherms, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV/Vis and Raman spectroscopy. Production of ?OH radicals on the surface of visible‐light illuminated TiO₂ was detected by using a photoluminescence method with terephthalic acid as the probe molecule. The photocatalytic activity of as‐prepared samples was evaluated by photocatalytic decolorization of Rhodamine B (RhB) aqueous solution at ambient temperature under visible‐light irradiation. The results show that the surface plasmon absorption band of the silver nanoparticles supported on the TiO₂ hollow spheres was red shifted, and a strong surface enhanced Raman scattering effect for the Ag‐TiO₂ nanocomposite sample was observed. The prepared nanocomposite hollow spheres exhibits a highly visible‐light photocatalytic activity for photocatalytic degradation of RhB in water, and their photocatalytic activity is higher than that of pure TiO₂ and commercial Degussa P25 (P25) powders. Especially, the as‐prepared Ag‐TiO₂ nanocomposite hollow spheres at the nominal atomic ratio of silver to titanium ( R ) of 2 showed the highest photocatalytic activity, which exceeds that of P25 by a factor of more than 2.     

Enhanced visible‐light‐driven photocatalytic activity of F doped reduced graphene oxide ‐ Bi2WO6 photocatalyst

The reduced graphene oxide‐Bi₂WO₆ (rGO‐BWO) photocatalysts with the different R_F/O values (molar ratio of the F molar mass and the O's molar mass of Bi₂WO₆) had been successfully synthesized via one‐step hydrothermal method. The F‐doped rGO‐BWO samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction patterns (XRD), field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐ESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area (BET), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The results indicate that F^? ions had been successfully doped into rGO‐BWO samples. With the increasing of the R_F/O values from 0 to 2%, the evident change of the morphology and the absorption edges of F‐doped rGO‐BWO samples and the photocatalytic activities had been enhanced. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity of F‐doped rGO‐BWO with R_F/O = 0.05 were better than rGO‐BWO and the other F‐doped rGO‐BWO under 500 W Xe lamp light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the morphology of the intact microsphere that signify the bigger specific surface area for providing more possible reaction sites for the adsorption–desorption equilibrium of photocatalytic reaction, the introduction of F^? ions that may cause the enhancement of surface acidity and creation of oxygen vacancies under visible light irradiation, the narrower band gap which means needing less energy for the electron hole pair transition.     

Silicon‐grafted Ag/AgX/rGO nanomaterials (X = Cl or Br) as dip‐photocatalysts for highly efficient p‐nitrophenol reduction and paracetamol production

In this work, plasmonic Ag/AgX/rGO (X = Cl or Br) nano‐photocatalysts were grafted with silicon by adding trimethylsilyl chloride as silicon precursor. The synthesized Ag/AgX/rGO‐Si hybrids showed a large improvement of photocatalytic activity towards the synthesis of p‐aminophenol (PAP) as well as paracetamol (acetaminophen; APAP) through the photoreduction of p‐nitrophenol (PNP). The prepared catalysts Ag/AgX/rGO were characterized using SEM, XRD, FTIR and the reduction reaction of p‐nitrophenol was monitored by UV–Vis measurements, GC/MS and ¹HNMR data. From the results, it was demonstrated that the rate order of reduction process of the PNP to PAP and to APAP under visible light irradiation of the samples was as follows; Ag/AgBr/rGO‐Si > Ag/AgCl/rGO‐Si > Ag/AgBr/rGO > Ag/AgCl/rGO. The reaction mechanism had been postulated that was supported with the spectroscopic data. In addition, the catalysts were recovered from the reaction medium and re‐used in three cycles that indicated the reusability and stability of the catalysts. This study was featured by the following; i) fast reaction, ii) the reduction of p‐nitrophenol to paracetamol was performed in a facile one‐pot reaction compared to previous approaches that tends to reduce the production cost, and iii) investigations on the catalytic properties of Ag/AgX/rGO in organic transformations open the door to find a benefice of these catalysts in other organic reactions and in the development in the synthesis of pharmaceutical products.     

A New p‐Metal‐n Structure AgBr‐Ag‐BiOBr with Superior Visible‐Light‐Responsive Catalytic Performance

A novel visible‐light‐driven AgBr‐Ag‐BiOBr photocatalyst was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. Taking advantage of both p‐n heterojunctions and localized surface plasmon resonance, the p‐metal‐n structure exhibited a superior performance concerning degradation of methyl orange under visible‐light irradiation (λ>420 nm). A possible photodegradation mechanism in the presence of AgBr‐Ag‐BiOBr composites was proposed, and the radical species involved in the degradation reaction were investigated. HO₂^?/^?O₂^? played the same important role as ^?OH in the AgBr‐Ag‐BiOBr photocatalytic system, and both the electron and hole were fully used for degradation of organic pollutants. A dual role of metallic Ag in the photocatalysis was proposed, one being surface plasmon resonance and the other being an electron‐hole bridge. Due to the distinctive p‐metal‐n structure, the visible‐light absorption, the separation of photogenerated carriers and the photocatalysis efficiency were greatly enhanced.     

Solvothermal Synthesis of Cs0.33WO3/LDHs Composite as a Novel Visible‐Light‐Driven Photocatalyst

A novel Cs_0.33WO₃/LDHs (CWLDH) composite was synthesized by simple two steps solvothermal method and first investigated as the photocatalyst for tetracycline (TC) and Congo red (CR) degradation under visible light irradiation. The CWLDH heterostructures catalysts were characterized by XRD, UV–Vis, SEM, XPS and BET. The composite CWLDH showed enhanced photocatalytic activity compared with pure Cs_0.33WO ₃ and NiAl‐LDH under identical experimental conditions. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was mainly attributed to the higher visible light‐absorbing ability, efficient electron–hole separation and prolonged lifetimes of photogenerated charges. The photocatalyst presented a high photocatalytic activity (92%) at the optimum of CWLDH ‐3 and initial TC concentration of 40 mg L⁻¹. Besides, the degradation efficiency of TC is higher than 75% for reused CWLDH after four cycles, demonstrating that it could be used as a potential catalyst with good photocatalytic activity, stability and reusability. According to the experimental results, a possible photocatalytic mechanism of CWLDH was discussed.     

Facile preparation of Ag/Ag2WO4/g‐C3N4 ternary plasmonic photocatalyst and its visible‐light photocatalytic activity

Introducing plasmonic metals into semiconductor materials has been proven to be an attractive strategy for enhancing photocatalytic activity in the visible region. In this work, a novel and efficient Ag/Ag₂WO₄/g‐C₃N₄ (AACN) ternary plasmonic photocatalyst was successfully synthesized using a facile one‐step in situ hydrothermal method. The composition, structure, morphology and optical absorption properties of AACN were investigated using X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, respectively. Photocatalytic performance of AACN was evaluated via rhodamine B and tetracycline degradation. The results indicated that AACN had excellent photocatalytic performance for rhodamine B degradation with a rate constant of 0.0125 min^?1, which was higher than those of Ag₂WO₄ and Ag/Ag₂WO₄. Characterization and photocatalytic tests showed that the strong coupling effect between the Ag/Ag₂WO₄ nanoparticles and the exfoliated ultrathin g‐C₃N₄ nanosheets was superior for visible‐light responsivity and reduced the recombination rate of photogenerated electrons and holes. A proposed mechanism is also discussed according to the band energy structure and the experimental results.     

Synthesis of V5+‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts were prepared via the ion exchange method. The catalysts were characterized using X‐ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray, X‐ray photoelectron, Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopies. The V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts show much higher photocatalytic activities than Ag/AgCl under visible light irradiation for methyl orange (MO) decomposition. Especially, the 2.0 wt% V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalyst shows the highest photocatalytic activity and also high stability after five cycles. The MO degradation rate during each cycle is almost maintained at 97%. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy and radical trapping experiments reveal that holes play an important role in the photocatalytic process.     

Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of 17α‐Ethinylestradiol Exhibited by Multifunctional ZnFe2O4–Ag/rGO Nanocomposite Under Visible Light

In this paper, ZnFe₂O₄, a visible light active photocatalyst, was comodified by graphene oxide (GO) and Ag nanoparticles (NPs) to form ZnFe₂O₄–Ag/rGO nanocomposite (NC) by facile one‐pot hydrothermal method. Reduction of GO and formation of ZnFe₂O₄ and Ag nanoparticles occurred simultaneously during hydrothermal reaction. The photocatalytic activity of the NC was investigated under visible light, for the degradation of 17α‐ethinylestradiol (EE2), a nondye compound, which also is an emerging pollutant with endocrine‐disrupting activity. The pseudo rate constant (k′) of as‐synthesized ZnFe₂O₄–Ag/rGO NC was higher by the factor of 14.6 and 5.6 times than the corresponding ZnFe₂O₄ and ZnFe₂O₄/rGO respectively. The synergistic interactions between ZnFe₂O₄, Ag and rGO leading to decreased aggregation of the NPs, increased surface area, better absorption in visible region, effective electron–hole generation transfer. However, in the presence of humic acid (HA), the photosensitization effect was predominated by competitive interaction resulting in only 80% removal of EE2 within the same time. Moreover, the composite can easily be magnetically separated for reuse.     

Synthesis and characterization nanocomposite of polyacrylamide‐rGO‐Ag‐PEDOT/PSS hydrogels by photo polymerization method

We present a novel approach to the fabrication of advanced polymeric nanocomposite hydrogels from polyacrylamide (PAAm) by incorporation of graphene‐silver‐polyethylenedioxythiophene‐polystyrene sulfonate (rGO‐Ag‐PEDOT/PSS) by photopolymerization method. Infrared spectroscopy was employed to characterize the structure of the hydrogels. The internal network structure of nanocomposite hydrogels was investigated by scanning electron microscope. Swelling, deswelling, and mechanical properties of the hydrogels were investigated. The compressive strength of nanocomposite hydrogels reaches maximum of 1.71 MPa when the ratio of rGO‐Ag‐PEDOT/PSS to PAAm was 0.3 wt%, which is 1.57 times higher than that of PAAm hydrogels (1.09 MPa). The electrical conductivity of the PAAm‐rGO‐Ag‐PEDOT/PSS hydrogel was found to be 3.91 × 10^?5 S cm^?1. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Facile One‐Pot Synthesis of Layered Protonated Titanate Nanosheets Loaded with Silver Nanoparticles with Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Performance

Layered protonated titanate nanosheets (LPTNs) loaded with silver nanoparticles are prepared by a simple one‐pot hydrothermal route in silver‐ammonia solution. The as‐synthesized Ag‐loaded LPTNs possess large specific surface area. The Ag nanoparticles are highly dispersed on the surface of the LPTNs. They have negligible effects on the crystal structure, crystallinity, and surface area of the LPTNs but result in considerable enhancement of visible‐light absorption and in a red‐shift of the band gap for the LPTNs. The Ag‐loaded LPTNs show enhanced photocatalytic activity for both liquid‐ and gas‐phase reactions under visible‐light irradiation. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity first increases gradually with increasing Ag loading content, and then decreases after maximizing at an optimal Ag content. At the Ag loading content of 2.87 mol % and 1.57 mol %, the Ag‐loaded LPTNs exhibit the highest visible‐light photocatalytic activity for degradation of rhodamine B in water and mineralization of benzene in air, respectively. An alternative possible mechanism for the enhancement of the visible‐light photocatalytic activity is also proposed.     

还原氧化石墨烯-硒化银纳米复合材料的水热合成与表征及其活性氧物种产生(英文)

A visible-light photocatalyst containing Ag2Se and reduced graphene oxide(RGO) was synthesized by a facile sonochemical-assisted hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron mi-croscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectros-copy results indicated that the RGO-Ag2Se nanocomposite contained small crystalline Ag2Se nano-particles dispersed over graphene nanosheets and absorbed visible light. The high crystallinity of the nanoparticles increased photocatalytic activity by facilitating charge transport. N2 adsorp-tion-desorption measurements revealed that the RGO-Ag2Se nanocomposite contained numerous pores with an average diameter of 9 nm, which should allow reactant molecules to readily access the Ag2Se nanoparticles. The RGO-Ag2Se nanocomposite exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than bulk Ag2Se nanoparticles to degrade organic pollutant rhodamine B and industrial dye Texbrite BA-L under visible-light irradiation(λ 420 nm). The generation of reactive oxygen spe-cies in RGO-Ag2Se was evaluated through its ability to oxidize 1,5-diphenylcarbazide to 1,5-diphenylcarbazone. The small size of the Ag2Se nanoparticles in RGO-Ag2Se was related to the use of ultrasonication during their formation, revealing that this approach is attractive to form po-rous RGO-Ag2Se materials with high photocatalytic activity under visible light.     

Visible‐light photocatalytic activity of Ag@MIL‐125(Ti) microspheres

Ag nanoparticle (NP)‐decorated MIL‐125(Ti) microspheres (Ag@MIL‐125(Ti)) were firstly fabricated via a facile hydrothermal and following photo‐reduction method. The photocatalysts were characterized using X‐ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The characterization results indicated that Ag NPs were dispersed on the surface of MIL‐125(Ti) microspheres, and the Ag NPs had a uniform diameter of about 40 nm. The composites exhibited excellent visible‐light absorption, due to the modification with the Ag NPs. The photocatalytic activity for the visible‐light‐promoted degradation of Rhodamine B was improved through the optimization of the amount of Ag loaded as a co‐catalyst, this amount being determined as 3 wt%. Additionally, studies performed using radical scavengers indicated that O₂^? and e^? served as the main reactive species. The catalyst can be reused at least five times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. Furthermore, a photocatalytic mechanism for degradation of organics over Ag@MIL‐125(Ti) is also proposed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface Plasmon Resonance‐Enhanced Visible‐NIR‐Driven Photocatalytic and Photothermal Catalytic Performance by Ag/Mesoporous Black TiO2 Nanotube Heterojunctions

Ag/mesoporous black TiO₂ nanotubes heterojunctions (Ag‐MBTHs) were fabricated through a surface hydrogenation, wet‐impregnation and photoreduction strategy. The as‐prepared Ag‐MBTHs possess a relatively high specific surface area of ≈85 m² g^?1 and an average pore size of ≈13.2 nm. The Ag‐MBTHs with a narrow band gap of ≈2.63 eV extend the photoresponse from UV to the visible‐light and near‐infrared (NIR) region. They exhibit excellent visible‐NIR‐driven photothermal catalytic and photocatalytic performance for complete conversion of nitro aromatic compounds (100 %) and mineralization of highly toxic phenol (100 %). The enhancement can be attributed to the mesoporous hollow structures increasing the light multi‐refraction, the Ti³⁺ in frameworks and the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of plasmonic Ag nanoparticles favoring light‐harvesting and spatial separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, which is confirmed by transient fluorescence. The fabrication of this SPR‐enhanced visible‐NIR‐driven Ag‐MBTHs catalyst may provide new insights for designing other high‐performance heterojunctions as photocatalytic and photothermal catalytic nanomaterials.     

Method for Visible Light‐Induced Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylparaben in Water Using Nanostructured Ag/AgBr@m‐WO3

An efficient method of photocatalytic degradation of methylparaben in water using Ag nanoparticles (NPs) loaded AgBr‐mesoporous‐WO₃ composite photocatalyst (Ag/AgBr@m‐WO₃), under visible light is presented. In this process, quantification of methylparaben in water was carried out by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the HPLC results showed a significant reduction of methylparaben in water due to the enhanced of photocatalytic degradation efficiency of Ag/AgBr@m‐WO₃. For the material synthesis, highly ordered mesoporous‐WO₃ (m‐WO₃) was initially synthesized by sol–gel method and AgBr nanoparticles (NPs) were subsequently introduced in the pores of m‐WO₃, and finally, the Ag nanoparticles were introduced by light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylparaben in water is attributed to the formation of surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) due to the introduction of Ag NPs on the surface of the catalyst. Also, the formation of heterojunction between AgBr and mesoporous‐WO₃ in Ag/AgBr@m‐WO₃ significantly inhibited the recombination of light‐induced electron‐hole pairs in the semiconductor composite. The morphological and optical characterizations of the synthesized photocatalysts (Ag/AgBr@m‐WO₃) were carried out using SEM, TEM, XDR, N₂ adsorption–desorption, UV‐VIS diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Also, the photocatalytic studies using radical scavengers were carried out and the results indicated that ${\text{O}}_2^{·-}$ is the main reactive species.     

Preparation and characterization of a new CdS–NiFe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/reduced graphene oxide photocatalyst and its use for degradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation

In this paper, CdS nanoparticles as a visible light active photocatalyst were coupled by NiFe₂O₄ and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to form CdS–NiFe₂O₄/rGO nanocomposite by facile hydrothermal methods. The CdS–NiFe₂O₄/rGO nanocomposite shows enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light illumination. In addition to improved photocatalytic performance, this prepared nanocomposite shows increased photostability and is magnetically separable from the aqueous media. The degradation rate constant (k_app) of the optimized photocatalyst, i.e. CdS–NiFe₂O₄ (0.05)/rGO 25 wt% nanocomposite, was higher than the corresponding CdS and NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles by factors of 11.1 and 8.9, respectively. The synergistic interactions between CdS, NiFe₂O₄ and rGO lead to enhanced surface area, reduced aggregation of the nanoparticles, decreased the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, and increased the charge separation efficiency and effective electron–hole generation transfer. According to the obtained results, a proposed mechanism of the photodegradation of MB under visible light irradiation is finally mentioned.     

Fabrication of urchin‐like Ag/ZnO hierarchical nano/microstructures based on galvanic replacement mechanism and their enhanced photocatalytic properties

Urchin‐like Ag/ZnO hierarchical nano/microstructures have been synthesized through a facile low‐temperature hydrothermal growth method based on galvanic replacement mechanism. The experimental results show that the urchin‐like Ag/ZnO heterostructures are formed through the epitaxial growth of ZnO nanorods on the {111} facets of Ag nanoparticles along their own c‐axis. The photocatalytic properties of the products were evaluated by the degradation of RhB dye solution under ultraviolet irradiation, and the results show that the products exhibit significantly enhanced photocatalytic properties comparing with pure ZnO nanorods. The products with a Ag content of 35.64 atom % prepared with a Ag⁺ concentration in solution of 5 mM exhibit surprisingly high degradation rate (99.5%) for RhB dye solution (4 mg/L) after photocatalytic reaction for only 14 min under ultraviolet irradiation. The Schottky barrier formed at the metal‐semiconductor interfaces improves the segregation of charges and prevents the charge recombination, and thus significantly enhances the photocatalytic activities of the products. On the other hand, the high stability of the urchin‐like Ag/ZnO hierarchical nano/microstructures can effectively prevent the aggregation of nanostructures with simultaneously preserving high photocatalytic properties due to the existence of nanosized unites. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Visible‐light‐driven Efficient Photocatalytic Reduction of Organic Azides to Amines over CdS Sheet–rGO Nanocomposite

CdS sheet–rGO nanocomposite as a heterogeneous photocatalyst enables visible‐light‐induced photocatalytic reduction of aromatic, heteroaromatic, aliphatic and sulfonyl azides to the corresponding amines using hydrazine hydrate as a reductant. The reaction shows excellent conversion and chemoselectivity towards the formation of the amine without self‐photoactivated azo compounds. In the adopted strategy, CdS not only accelerates the formation of nitrene through photoactivation of azide but also enhances the decomposition of azide to a certain extent, which entirely suppressed formation of the azo compound. The developed CdS sheet‐rGO nanocomposite catalyst is very active, providing excellent results under irradiation with a 40 W simple household CFL lamp.     

Silver ferrite–graphene nanocomposite and its good photocatalytic performance in air and visible light for organic dye removal

Silver ferrite–graphene (AgFeO₂‐G) as a nanocomposite photocatalyst shows potent visible‐light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of organic contaminants, and generates the strong oxidants hydroxyl radical (^•OH) and superoxide anion radical (O₂^•−) via photoelectrochemical decomposition of H₂O and O₂ in the presence of air and visible light irradiation. The photogenerated electrons of AgFeO₂ can transfer easily from the conduction band to the reduced graphene oxide, efficiently preventing the direct recombination of electrons and holes. As a matter of fact, AgFeO₂ has a low bandgap. Furthermore, AgFeO₂ nanoparticles themselves have a magnetic property, which makes them magnetically separable. The experimental results show that the graphene nanosheets in the nanocomposite catalyst are exfoliated and decorated homogeneously with AgFeO₂ nanoparticles. The photodegradation occurs in a short time (ca 40 min). Also, the photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite does not show any clear loss after ten recycles of the degradation process.     

Ternary Monolithic ZnS/CdS/rGO Photomembrane with Desirable Charge Separation/Transfer Routes for Effective Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Generation

Highly efficient and easy recyclable monolithic photocatalysts with ideal separation/transport route for photogenerated charge carriers are much desired. In this work, a ZnO seed‐induced growth approach is developed to fabricate a ternary monolithic photomembrane, that is, ZnS/CdS heterojunction nanorods in situ grow into the interspaces of multilayer reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets (denoted as ZnS/CdS/rGO). The monolithic ZnS/CdS/rGO photomembrane can serve as an efficient visible‐light photoactive membrane for photocatalytic (PC) or photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen generation. The fast electron transport of 1D CdS nanorods, the excellent electronic conductivity of multilayer stacked rGO sheets, the intense visible‐light absorption of CdS, the unique hierarchical structure, and double heterojunctions (ZnS/CdS and CdS/rGO) efficiently boost the photogenerated electron‐hole pairs separation and transfer across the interfacial domain of the photomembrane under visible‐light irradiation. Furthermore, the superior stability and reusability of the photomembrane is achieved by the ideal process of photogenerated electron‐hole pair separation/transfer, i.e., holes transfer to ZnS and electrons transfer to rGO to inhibit CdS from photocorrosion.