Immobilized Ag(3)PO(4)/GO on 3D nickel foam and its photocatalytic degradation of norfloxacin antibiotic under visible light

In this study, a series of Ag(3)PO(4)/graphene oxide (GO) films were dip-coated on a metal nickel foam. The immobilized catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The results show that Ag(3)PO(4)/GO was successfully supported on a nickel foam. The photocatalytic activity of the film catalyst under visible light was investigated by the degradation of norfloxacin, an antibiotic. Photocatalytic stability of this catalyst was also investigated. An optimized film exhibited superior activity and stability, the degradation rate of norfloxacin was about 83.68% in 100 min and the reaction rate constant k was 1.9 times that of pristine Ag(3)PO(4). Further investigation found that photo-generated holes (h(+)) and superoxide anion radicals (·O(2)(−)) are the main active species in the photodegradation process. The result indicates that the addition of GO inhibits the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, and thus has improved the photocatalytic activity and cyclic stability under visible light. The photocatalytic mechanism of the film catalyst was proposed. The prepared Ag(3)PO(4)/GO film catalyst is a promising candidate for treatment of wastewater containing antibiotics.