One-pot synthesis of PrPO4 nanorods–reduced graphene oxide composites and their photocatalytic properties

Abstract

Graphene-based nanocomposites are emerging as a new class of materials that hold promise for many applications. In this study, we demonstrate a simple one-pot hydrothermal method for the synthesis of PrPO4–reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites using graphite oxide, praseodymium(III) nitrate and disodium hydrogen phosphate as starting materials. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. It was revealed that the RGO sheets were decorated with the in situ-formed PrPO4 nanorods to form a well-combined composite structure. The PrPO4–RGO nanocomposites show enhanced photocatalytic activity in comparison with bare PrPO4 nanorods in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under simulated sunlight irradiation, which may be attributed to the improved separation of electron–hole pairs and the increased ˙OH amount in the reaction system. The facile method could be extended to design other graphene-based photocatalysts for energy and environmental applications.