Three-dimensional hollow graphene efficiently promotes electron transfer of Ag3PO4 for photocatalytically eliminating phenol

Abstract The effective transport of photo-induced carriers over semiconductor photocatalyst is critical for enhancing the photocatalytic performance under light excitation. Although oxidized graphene (GO) and/or reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been used as cocatalyst to promote the transfer and utilization of electrons, however, random diffusion and transfer of photo-induced charges are inevitable from all sides over these actual graphene owing to the limitation of the preparation process and theory. Herein, we utilized three-dimensional hollow carbon graphene (HCG) to promote the efficient electron transfer of Ag3PO4 in the photocatalytic process. Owing to the confinement-induced electron field of HCG, the constructed HCG-Ag3PO4 photocatalytic system demonstrated the enhanced visible-light adsorption, improved transfer of photo-induced charges, and suitable redox potentials as revealed by transient photo-current spectroscopic, surface photovoltage spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). EPR spectra of oxygen species and gas chromatography-mass spectra exhibited high efficiency activity over HCG-Ag3PO4 with Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism for phenol decomposition by reaction between hexanoic acid and OH and O2−. It is noteworthy that photocatalytic performance over optimal HCG-Ag3PO4 is 6, 3.43, 1.92 times of pristine Ag3PO4, GO-Ag3PO4, and rGO-Ag3PO4, respectively. The results may supply a novel perspective to enhance transfer of photo-induced charges for the promotion of photocatalytic technology.