Enhanced photocatalytic properties of graphene modified few-layered WSe2 nanosheets

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) modified few-layered WSe 2 nanosheets have been synthesized through a facile one-pot solvothermal reaction. Compared with bare WSe 2 nanosheets with relatively poor photocatalytic activity, WSe 2 /RGO composite demonstrates significant enhancement in photocatalytic degradation of organic dye RhB under visible light irradiation. The k value of WSe 2 /RGO is ∼1.9 times larger than that of bare WSe 2 nanosheets, which is attributed to the excellent charge separation feature and electronic transport ability of graphene nanosheets, leading to highly reduced electron-hole pair recombination of graphene on WSe 2 nanosheets thus strongly enhancing the photocatalytic performance. The WSe 2 /RGO composite is a promising catalyst for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants by solar energy.