Facile deposition of Ag3PO4 on graphene-like MoS2 nanosheets for highly efficient photocatalysis

A facile method for the in situ deposition of Ag3PO4 on graphene-like MoS2 nanosheets was developed to improve the photocatalytic performance of Ag3PO4 catalysts. The heterostructure of Ag3PO4/MoS2 composites was characterized by using X-ray diffraction spectra (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The prepared Ag3PO4/MoS2 photocatalyst exhibited a much higher photocatalytic activity than that of Ag3PO4 for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation (>400 nm). The improved photocatalytic activity of Ag3PO4/MoS2 is attributed to the efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs in the composite. This result provides a new perspective on the design of high-performance photocatalysts which is promising for energy applications. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.