Preparation of rGO‐CNT/Ag3PO4/Nb2O5 composite with enhanced photoresponse properties as a highly effective visible light driven photocatalyst

Abstract In this study a facile method to synthesize a new type of photocatalyst by coating Ag3PO4/Nb2O5 composite on rGO‐CNT network was reported. The composite of Silver orthophosphate/Niobium(V) oxide (Ag 3 PO 4 /Nb 2 O 5) was prepared through depositing Ag 3 PO 4 particles on the surface of Nb 2 O 5 particles. The prepared Ag 3 PO 4 /Nb 2 O 5 composite photocatalyst shows a much higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of MB than pure Ag 3 PO 4 and Nb 2 O 5 under simulated sunlight. This can be related to the efficient separation of photoinduced electron/hole pairs derived from the Ag 3 PO 4 /Nb 2 O 5 heterojunction. Moreover, the prepared reduced Graphene Oxide‐Carbon nanotube (rGO‐CNT) network inhibits the restacking of sheets of Graphene Oxide (GO) during the reduction process and can create fast electronic conducting channels, making this an effective strategy for improving the photocatalytic performance of the prepared composite of Ag 3 PO 4 /Nb 2 O 5 . The degradation rate constant (k app ) of the optimized rGO‐CNT/Ag 3 PO 4 /Nb 2 O 5 photocatalyst was higher by a factor of 6.7 times than that of the corresponding Ag 3 PO 4 nanoparticles. The synergistic interactions between Ag 3 PO 4 , Nb 2 O 5 , and the presence of rGO‐CNT network lead to an increased surface area, a decreased aggregation of the particles, a reduced recombination rate for the photogenerated electron/hole pairs, and an efficient charge carrier transfer. In addition, no loss of photocatalytic activity was observed after six recycles. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).