Reduced graphene oxide as co-catalyst for enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity of BiOBr

BiOBr-reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composites were successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method. Their morphology, structure and photocatalytic activity in the degradation of nitrobenzene were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectra, electrochemical impedance spectra and total organic carbon, respectively. The results showed that the introduction of RGO could enhance the visible light photocatalytic activity of BiOBr. The BiOBr-RGO composite with 0.6 wt% RGO exhibited an optimal photocatalytic activity, and the maximum degradation rate of nitrobenzene was about 2.16 times that of pure BiOBr due to the increased light absorption and the reduced electron-hole pair recombination in BiOBr with the introduction of RGO.