Construction of fiber-based BiVO4/SiO2/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with efficient visible light photocatalytic activity

The visible light-responsive photocatalyst BiVO4/SiO2/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was synthesized by hydrothermal method. For easy collection and reuse in slurry systems, RGO/BiVO4/SiO2 was immobilized on the cotton fiber by ultrasonic-heating technology. The characterization results indicated that the surface of cotton fiber was uniformly covered with BiVO4/SiO2/RGO photocatalyst. The loaded BiVO4/SiO2/RGO endowed the composite fibers with an excellent photocatalytic activity and recyclability for the degradation of the C.I. Reactive Blue 19 under visible light irradiation. The introduction of RGO exhibited the great dispersibility of photocatalyst in aqueous solution and the high absorbance of positive metal ions, which enhanced its photocatalytic performance. Given the above research results, the flexible fiber-based BiVO4/SiO2/RGO composite would have potential applications in the water/air purification field.