Silver nanoparticles/graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets for improved visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance

[Display omitted] •Silver nanoparticles were deposited onto high specific surface area g-C3N4 nanosheets through a facile photodeposition method.•Masses of Ag nanoparticles (∼40wt%) adhere to the surface of g-C3N4 nanosheets on a larger scale and still distribute in a uniform manner.•The surface plasmon resonance of Ag nanoparticles can significantly enhance the photocatalytic performance.•The nanocomposites exhibit good photocatalytic degradation ability and stable cyclic test under visible light irradiation. The binary nanocomposite of silver nanoparticles/graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (AgNPs/g-C3N4 nanosheets) has been prepared through polymerization-photodeposition method. The UV–vis absorption spectra show that the composite material has a significant absorption in the visible region, and indirectly demonstrates the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag nanoparticles in composites. The as-prepared AgNPs/g-C3N4 nanosheets photocatalysts exhibit distinctly enhanced photocatalytic activities toward the degradation of Methyl orange (more than 95% after 60min) under visible light irradiation, which is about 20 and 3 times higher than that of bulk g-C3N4 and g-C3N4 nanosheets. The cyclic stability test proves that hybrid photocatalyst has a strong stability in the degradation of organic dyes. The improved visible-light-driven photocatalytic activities of AgNPs/g-C3N4 nanosheets can be attributed to the SPR of Ag nanoparticles as well as generation, separation and transportation of the photogenerated carriers, and the higher specific surface area for improved visible-light utilization efficiency.