Synthesis of a ternary Ag/RGO/ZnO nanocomposite via microwave irradiation and its application for the degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light.

Reduced graphene oxide supporting plasmonic photocatalyst (Ag) on ZnO has been synthesized via a facile two-step microwave synthesis using RGO/ZnO and AgNO3. First step involves fabrication of RGO/ZnO via microwave irradiation. The nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Ag/RGO/ZnO shows enhanced photoactivity under visible light for the degradation of Rhodamine B. Enhanced charge separation and migration have been assigned using UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra, photoluminescence spectra, electrochemical impedance spectra, and TCSPC analysis. The improved photoactivity of Ag/RGO/ZnO can be ascribed to the prolonged lifetime of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and effective interfacial hybridization between RGO and Ag with ZnO nanoparticles. Ag nanoparticles can absorb visible light via surface plasmon resonance to enhance photocatalytic activity.