Photocatalytic activity of Ag–TiO2-graphene ternary nanocomposites and application in hydrogen evolution by water splitting

TiO2-graphene (P25-GR, PG) nanocomposite was fabricated with P25 and graphite oxide through a hydrothermal method, and then Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) was assembled in P25-GR (Ag-P25-GR, APG) under microwave-assisted chemical reduction. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence spectrum (PL), UV–vis absorption spectrum (UV–vis) and Raman spectrum, respectively. The results showed that Ag NPs were well dispersed on the surface of PG with metallic state. The ternary Ag-P25-GR (APG) nanocomposites possessed the extended light absorption range and more efficient charge separation properties compared to binary P25-GR (PG). Methylene blue photodegradation experiment proved that surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomenon had an effect on photoreaction efficiency. The corresponding hydrogen evolution rate of APG prepared with 0.002 M AgNO3 solution was 7.6 times than pure P25 and 2.7 times than PG in the test condition. The improved photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the presence of GR and SPR effect, leading to the longer lifetime of photo-generated electron–hole pairs and faster interfacial charge transfer rate. This work indicates that the photoactivity of ternary GR-based nanocomposites is superior to the binary one. We expected our work could give a new train of thought on exploration of GR-based nanocomposites.