Dispersed Ag Nanoparticles Research Articles

Recycled fiber derived carbon dispersed Ag nanoparticles as high-performance catalyst for 4-nitrophenol reduction and substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Hydroxyl-rich waste fibers have been utilized as support to synthesize paper derived monodispersed Ag composites. We utilized the one-step thermal reduction and carbonization method to synthesize a meso-pore carbon frame with mono-dispersed silver nanoparticles (Ag@C). The Ag@C showed excellent catalytic activity in 4-nitrophenol reduction reactions attributing to their well dispersed silver nanoparticles and high surface area. The Ag@C catalyst could be recycled for ten times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. Furthermore, the Ag@C could be used as a Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate, and the SERS signals strength were shown to be seven times higher than unloaded carbon membrane. The results clearly indicated that the Ag nanoparticle-loaded recycled fibers exhibited SERS activity, rendering it an excellent SERS substrate for practical applications. The efficient utilization of the widely accessible waste fibers from paper-making industry could provide a sustainable feature of this work to reduce manufacturing cost and contribute it to be an environment-friendly bifunctional material.

Mussel-inspired fabrication of cationic polymer modified rGO supported silver nanoparticles hybrid with robust antibacterial and catalytic reduction performance

Mussel-inspired strategy was developed to fabricate quaternized polymer modified reduced graphene oxide supported silver nanoparticles hybrid (rGO-QCP-Ag) for efficient antibacterial agent and nanocatalyst. The rGO-QCP-Ag nanohybrid had high positive charge density and decent hydrophilic properties, and the Ag nanoparticles deposited on rGO exhibited ultra-small size and dispersion stability. The as-prepared nanohybrid showed high-efficacy and long-term antibacterial properties against E. coli (G−) and S. aureus (G+), especially, it could rapidly kill E. coli within 2 h at a concentration of 16 μg/mL. The antibacterial mechanism of nanohybrid mainly involved cell membrane damage and ROS generation. In addition, the nanohybrid displayed highly efficient catalytic reduction for p-nitrophenol and methylene blue. The excellent antibacterial and catalytic properties of the nanohybrid were mainly attributed to its water dispersion stability and the uniformly dispersed small-sized Ag nanoparticles on the polymer-decorated rGO sheets. Meanwhile, combining with the synergistic effect of two-dimensional rGO sheets, the above properties enable the nanohybrid to get in contact with bacteria and reactants effectively, enhancing the antimicrobial and catalytic properties. The excellent properties of the as-designed nanohybrid are expected to solve the problem of bacterial resistance and environmental pollution that is threatening public health.

Enhanced dissolution of silver nanoparticles in a physical mixture with platinum nanoparticles based on the sacrificial anode effect

A strategy to reduce implant-related infections is the inhibition of the initial bacterial implant colonization by biomaterials containing silver (Ag). The antimicrobial efficacy of such biomaterials can be increased by surface enhancement (nanosilver) or by creating a sacrificial anode system for Ag. Such a system will lead to an electrochemically driven enhanced Ag ion release due to the presence of a more noble metal. Here we combined the enlarged surface of nanoparticles (NP) with a possible sacrificial anode effect for Ag induced by the presence of the electrochemically more noble platinum (Pt) in physical mixtures of Ag NP and Pt NP dispersions. These Ag NP/Pt NP mixtures were compared to the same amounts of pure Ag NP in terms of cell biological responses, i.e. the antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as well as the viability of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC). In addition, Ag NP was analyzed by ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and atomic absorption spectroscopy. It was found that the dissolution rate of Ag NP was enhanced in the presence of Pt NP within the physical mixture compared to a dispersion of pure Ag NP. Dissolution experiments revealed a fourfold increased Ag ion release from physical mixtures due to enhanced electrochemical activity, which resulted in a significantly increased toxicity towards both bacteria and hMSC. Thus, our results provide evidence for an underlying sacrificial anode mechanism induced by the presence of Pt NP within physical mixtures with Ag NP. Such physical mixtures have a high potential for various applications, for example as antimicrobial implant coatings in the biomedicine or as bactericidal systems for water and surface purification in the technical area.

Plasmonic Ag decorated graphitic carbon nitride sheets with enhanced visible-light response for photocatalytic water disinfection and organic pollutant removal.

Photocatalytic disinfection with high performance is thought to be a promising way for water purification. Herein, plasmonic Ag doped urea-derived graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) composites were fabricated via in-situ photo-deposition at room temperature as the visible-light photocatalyst. Scan electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images showed the uniform dispersion of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of g-C3N4 sheet, which facilitated the synergistic effect of antibacterial performance from Ag and photocatalytic property from Ag/g-C3N4 composites. Photocatalytic water disinfection against Escherichia coli with visible light was performed to demonstrate the improved photocatalytic property with assistance of Ag. The 3-Ag/g-C3N4 exhibited the best bactericidal performance by inactivating all bacteria within 120 min with damaged cell membranes of Escherichia coli observed by scan electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images. Photoluminescence spectra, steady-state surface photovoltage spectra, photocurrent response, and electrochemical impedance spectra results revealed that Ag nanoparticles inhibited the recombination of photo-generated e- and h+ pairs and further reinforced the photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4. Scavenger experiments indicated that h+ produced on valence band of g-C3N4 dominated the photocatalytic disinfection process against Escherichia coli. This work further proved Ag/g-C3N4 showed great potential in photocatalytic water disinfection under visible-light irradiation.

Ag nanoparticle-enhanced alkyl radical generation in photopolymerization for holographic recording

Abstract We report a new Ag nanoparticle-dispersed polymer nanocomposite for volume holographic recording through acrylic photopolymerization. The initial grating buildup dynamics at the inhibition stage are measured at various Ag nanoparticle concentrations. The refractive index modulation amplitude as large as 0.0069 at 633 nm is seen at the optimum Ag nanoparticle concentration of 1 wt.% with respect to the monomer. Electron paramagnetic resonance measurements show that Ag nanoparticles influence both the generation of alkyl radicals and the scavenging of oxygen in free radical photopolymerization. This mechanism intrinsically determines the molecular weight of polymer being formed and, thereby, affects the refractive index modulation amplitude of the formed grating as a function of Ag nanoparticle concentrations. Moreover, we confirm that two-beam holographic exposure leads to a periodic assembly of dispersed Ag nanoparticles using a dark-field microscopy. Our results suggest a simple way to control the photopolymerization and, therefore, to tailor polymers for practical uses.

Assessment of Ag Nanoparticles Interaction over Low-Cost Mesoporous Silica in Deep Desulfurization of Diesel

Chemical interactions between metal particles (Ag or Ni) dispersed in a low-cost MCM-41M produced from beach sand amorphous silica and sulfur compounds were evaluated in the deep adsorptive desulfurization process of real diesel fuel. N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy coupled to energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDX) were used for characterizing the adsorbents. HRTEM and XPS confirmed the high dispersion of Ag nanoparticles on the MCM-41 surface, and its chemical interaction with support and sulfur compounds by diverse mechanisms such as π-complexation and oxidation. Thermodynamic tests indicated that the adsorption of sulfur compounds over Ag(I)/MCM-41M is an endothermic process under the studied conditions. The magnitude of ΔH° (42.1 kJ/mol) indicates that chemisorptive mechanisms govern the sulfur removal. The best fit of kinetic and equilibrium data to pseudo-second order (R2 > 0.99) and Langmuir models (R2 > 0.98), respectively, along with the results for intraparticle diffusion and Boyd’s film-diffusion kinetic models, suggest that the chemisorptive interaction between organosulfur compounds and Ag nanosites controls sulfur adsorption, as seen in the XPS results. Its adsorption capacity (qm = 31.25 mgS/g) was 10 times higher than that obtained for pure MCM-41M and double the qm for the Ag(I)/MCM-41C adsorbent from commercial silica. Saturated adsorbents presented a satisfactory regeneration rate after a total of five sulfur adsorption cycles.

Enhanced-photoreduction deposition of Ag over sono-dispersed C3N4-Clinoptilolite used as nanophotocatalyst for efficient photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline antibiotic under simulated solar-light

Ag/C3N4-Clinoptilolite nano-photocatalyst with a high activity was synthesized by ultrasound energy and employed in the photocatalytic removal of the tetracycline from aqueous solutions. XRD, FESEM, EDX, BET and FTIR analyses revealed that C3N4-Clinoptilolite was successfully synthesized with efficient dispersion of Ag nanoparticles. DRS analysis indicated that the loading of Ag nanoparticles increased the absorption intensity in the simulated solar-light region due to of the surface plasmon resonance and decreased the band gap which made the composite to utilize more solar spectrum. Therefore, the Ag/C3N4-Clinoptilolite nano-photocatalyst displayed an excellent photocatalytic activity under simulated solar light irradiation. Approximately 90% of the antibiotic tetracycline in aqueous solution was decomposed after 3 h by this nano-photocatalyst, while only 73%, 68%, 58.5% of the pollutant was removed using Ag–C3N4, C3N4-Clinoptilolite, and C3N4, respectively. The effects of pH, the loading of nano-photocatalyst and tetracycline concentration on photodegradation efficiency were evaluated. Also, the appropriate stability after 4 runs observed for Ag/C3N4-Clinoptilolite nano-photocatalyst.

Controllable synthesis of silver anchored N-doped yolk-shell carbon@mSiO2 spheres and their application for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

Core-shell materials with tunable morphology have attracted fantastic attention in practical application and scientific research. Among them, yolk-shell structured materials with mesoporous shell are considered a promising framework for catalyst support, protecting active sites from aggregation or lossing. Compared with traditional synthesis method, we report a facile strategy for preparation of functional yolk-shell materials without selective etching of the core or template. 3-Aminophenol formaldehyde resin (3-AFR) is used as the core and carbon source. The modified 3-AFR spheres are coated by mesoporous silica and silver is introduced simultaneously, obtaining yolk-shell polymer-silica composites. Then the silver doped composites are carbonized and reduced in H2/Ar atmosphere. Particularly, the final products prepared through different pre-treatments show various morphologies and the obtained materials supporting well dispersed silver nanoparticles exhibit excellent catalytic activity for 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction under room temperature with conversion of >98%, which may be attributed to well dispersed Ag nanoparticles and mesoporous silica shell. This strategy may be applicable to various yolk-shell materials with assistance of pretreatment, avoiding selective removal of core or template.

Ag-functionalized exfoliated V2O5 nanosheets: a flexible and binder-free cathode for lithium-ion batteries

Problems associated with seeking the high-performance flexible cathode materials similar to graphene constitute one of the main obstacles to using lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in next-generation flexible and wearable electronics. Herein, the bendable and self-standing electrodes based on Ag nanoparticles decorated on few-layers V2O5 nanosheets are successfully fabricated by simple liquid-phase exfoliation and sol-gel method. Exfoliated V2O5 nanosheets with few-layers achieve higher Li+ ions diffusion kinetics derived from faster Li+ transport along the b-axis in the layers. Besides, Ag-functionalized ultrathin V2O5 nanosheets, as a flexible electrode of LIBs, exhibit higher electronic conductivity, superior discharge capacity (301 mA h g−1 at 1 C) and better rate performance (128 mA h g−1 at 10 C). Benefiting from the homogeneous dispersion of Ag nanoparticles and excellent flexibility of V2O5 nanosheets, after 100 times of 180° bending, the capacity of Ag@V2O5 nanosheets can stabilize at 233 mA h g−1 after the 200th cycle.

Silver effect on the tribological and antibacterial properties of a-C:Ag coatings

Abstract a-C:Ag coatings (1.2–23.4 at.% of Ag) were deposited using magnetron sputtering. Ag nanoparticles appear embedded in the carbon matrix or segregated to the column boundaries or surface. The silver doping has not promoted significant changes of the sp 2 /sp 3 ratio although a decrease of the hardness is observed (from 17 to 7 GPa). The tribological behavior did not show a clear dependence on the silver concentration in unlubricated or lubricated conditions (fetal bovinum serum) against alumina or UHMWPE balls. Ag nanoparticle dispersion enhanced the bactericide behavior as determined by the released Ag + ion in the fluid media. There is no clear effect of friction rubbing on the released silver indicating that diffusion and top segregation are prevalent mechanisms for its dissolution.

A free-standing 3D nano-composite photo-electrode—Ag/ZnO nanorods arrays on Ni foam effectively degrade berberine

Berberine is a widely used antibiotic in China, its photocatalytic degradation is not well understood nor its efficient treatment reported. In this study, it is most quickly and efficiently degraded (97.9% under UV and 98.9% under visible light) using a free-standing 3D composite photo-electrode, with well dispersed Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) over well-aligned ZnO nanorods arrays (ZnO NAs) on Ni foam (NiF), compared to ZnO NAs/NiF, ZnO powder and P25. The composite photo-electrode was prepared by first directly growing ZnO NAs on NiF hydrothermally, followed by photo-deposition of Ag NPs, without any inactive binders or non-conductive substrates. It was characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry (UV–Vis) and electrochemical analysis (I-t, EIS). The highest activity of Ag NPs/ZnO NAs/NiF in degrading the target pollutant, is due to the synergy of easy pollutants diffusion and fast reaction on active sites, from suppressed electron-hole recombination by Ag NPs/ZnO NAs heterojunctions, extended light absorption by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag NPs and accelerated electron transport on the conductive macro-porous NiF. The reactive oxidizing species (OH, O2−, h±), degradation intermediates and possible degradation pathways of berberine over Ag NPs/ZnO NAs/NiF were examined respectively. This free-standing whole piece photo-electrode with UV–visible light response, is easy to recycle and assemble, that not only degrades pollutant, but also generates electricity as photo-anode in a photo-catalytic fuel cell reactor using carbon fiber cloth as cathode.

One-step fabrication of highly dispersed Ag nanoparticles decorated N-doped reduced graphene oxide heterogeneous nanostructure for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

Inspired by the high catalytic activity of Ag nanopartilces (NPs) as well as N-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO), the heterogeneous nanostructure comprised of Ag NPs and N-rGO is expected to be an excellent catalyst. Herein, heterogeneous nanostructures of N-rGO decorated with well-dispersed Ag NPs were synthesized via a simple one-pot hydrothermal route. The doping of nitrogen atoms, formation of Ag NPs and reduction of graphene oxide were completed simutaneously. The average diameter of the spherical Ag NPs with a narrow size distribution is determined to be 15 nm. The as-synthesized catalyst exhibited outstanding high catalytic activity with a full transformation of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol within 45 s and good stability up to ten cycles. The catalytic reduction reaction has a pseudo-first-order rate constant of 7.7 × 10−2 s-1, which is significantly higher than the other reported graphene based heterogeneous nanostructures thus far at room temperature. Moreover, the resultant nanocomposites displayed superior surface enhanced Raman scattering effect.

Cover Feature: Ordered Mesoporous CeO2‐supported Ag as an Effective Catalyst for Carboxylative Coupling Reaction Using CO2 (ChemCatChem 8/2019)

The Cover Feature shows that Ag/Mesoporous CeO2 could be used in the carboxylative coupling of terminal alkynes, chloride compounds and CO2. In their Full Paper, X. Zhang et al. demonstrate that Ag/M-CeO2 catalysts synthesized through the gas bubbling-assisted membrane reduction (GBMR) method contain uniform mesoporous structure, large surface area and oxygen vacancies, which promote the dispersion of Ag nanoparticles. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that Ag nanoparticles supported on M-CeO2 could facilitate the formation of oxygen vacancies, which result in higher CO2 adsorption capacity. A wide range of functionalized 2-alkynoates could be synthesized by Ag(3.12%)/M-CeO2 catalyst in good yield. More information can be found in the Full Paper by X. Zhang et al. on page 2089 in Issue 8, 2019 (DOI: 10.1002/cctc.201900039).

Ordered Mesoporous CeO2‐supported Ag as an Effective Catalyst for Carboxylative Coupling Reaction Using CO2

AbstractAg/Mesoporous CeO2 (Ag/M−CeO2) catalysts were synthesized through the gas bubbling‐assisted membrane reduction (GBMR) method and characterized by XRD, ICP‐OES, N2 adsorption‐desorption, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, TEM, HRTEM, HAADF‐STEM and CO2‐TPD. Ag/M−CeO2 catalysts contain uniform mesoporous structure, large surface area and oxygen vacancies, which promote the dispersion of Ag nanoparticles. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that Ag nanoparticles supported on M−CeO2 could facilitate the formation of oxygen vacancies, which result in higher CO2 adsorption capacity. With the most oxygen vacancies and the well‐dispersed Ag active species, Ag (3.12 %)/M−CeO2 exhibits high efficiency for the carboxylative coupling of terminal alkynes, chloride compounds and CO2 under mild reaction conditions (60 °C, 0.5 MPa), affording a wide range of functionalized 2‐alkynoates in good yields.

Micro/nano-structured Ag coated VPO4/C as a high-performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Ag coated vanadium phosphate/carbon (VPO4/C/Ag) was facilely prepared by calcination of mixture of AgNO3, VPO4/C and glucose in inert atmosphere. The SEM and TEM tests demonstrate that Ag nanoparticles are evenly distributed on the surface of VPO4/C. In the voltage range of 0.01–3.0 V, VPO4/C/Ag delivers much better rate capability, higher capacity and better cyclability than VPO4/C, which is ascribed to improvement of electronic conductivity of VPO4/C by introduction of uniformly dispersive Ag nanoparticles.

Photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants over visible light active plasmonic Ag nanoparticle loaded Ag2SO3 photocatalysts

In this work, the efficiency of organic pollutants degradation over Ag nanoparticles (NPs) loaded Ag2SO3 (AgSS) photocatalyst and the impact of reaction parameters on the degradation process are studied. Visible light active, AgSS plasmonic photocatalyst, was prepared by precipitation and chemical reduction method. The formation and well dispersion of cubic Ag NPs on the Ag2SO3 surface with enhanced visible light absorption was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and UV–vis-NIR spectrophotometer. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared photocatalysts was evaluated by organic dye and phenol degradation reaction. The effects of different factors such as catalyst composition, light source, initial pollutant concentration and pH of the solutions were studied using organic dye Rhodamine B (RhB). It was found that the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption of Ag NPs is strongly dependent on the size, shape and amount of the NPs loaded. 1-AgSS showed the best photodegradation performance with 99% RhB removal in 2 h. The photoactivity of the 1-AgSS was better at both high and low pH environment. The 1-AgSS composition showed reusability for five successive experimental cycles and good structural stability. Moreover, the formation of intermediates in phenol degradation reaction was confirmed over the 1-AgSS sample by UV-spectra and HPLC analysis. We believe that the synthesized AgSS photocatalysts have promising potential for the photocatalytic elimination of organic pollutants from industrial effluents.

Constructing membrane surface with synergistic passive antifouling and active antibacterial strategies through organic-inorganic composite modifier

Membrane fouling is a common bottleneck in the treatment of wastewater, seawater or brackish water containing bacteria and other living microorganisms. Simultaneously introducing passive antifouling strategies (fouling resistance and fouling release) and active antibacterial strategies (off-surface antibacterial and on-surface antibacterial) onto membrane surfaces seems a promising strategy. In the present study, we designed a new type of organic-inorganic composite modifier comprising organic polymer PHFBM-PMAA-PMTAC (poly [hexafluorobutyl methacrylate]-poly [methacrylic acid]-poly [(2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl) trimethyl ammonium chloride]) and inorganic Ag nanoparticles (NPs) to introduce the active-passive integrated antifouling strategies through synergistic surface segregation. We found that the Ag NPs could promote the surface segregation of copolymer and in turn copolymer would promote the bulk dispersion of Ag NPs. The resulting membranes exhibited superior and persistent antifouling properties as well as antibacterial properties. In the separation of oil-in-water emulsion and yeast suspension, the flux decline of the membranes was merely 4.0%, while the flux recovery ratio was nearly 100%. Meanwhile, the membranes exhibited desired off-surface and on-surface antibacterial properties, in which the antibacterial efficiency for Escherichia coli was nearly 100% and the width of inhibition zone was 4 mm.

Influence of γ-ray irradiation doses on physicochemical properties of silver polystyrene polyvinyl pyrrolidone nanocomposites

Abstract Silver – polystyrene polyvinylpyrrolidone nanocomposites were synthesized by polymerization which was induced by γ-ray irradiation. Silver (Ag) nanoparticles were embedded in the polystyrene via subsequent reduction of Ag+ by γ-ray irradiation. Dispersion of Ag nanoparticles was achieved using polyvinylpyrrolidone as a dispersing agent. The morphology and particle size of the new silver/polystyrene/polyvinylpyrrolidone nanocomposite was studied by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction analysis and thermal gravimetric analysis. The prepared nanocomposites showed improved thermal stability. The TEM images demonstrate that well-dispersed Ag nanoparticles were embedded in polystyrene polyvinylpyrrolidone. According to TEM analysis, the size of the nanoparticles was found to be in the range of 15–45 nm. TEM images showed the favored shape of the nanoparticles as spherical. TGA indicated that the thermal stability of polystyrene is enhanced when loaded with Ag nanoparticles and this is clear from the data obtained and the values of the activation energy. This method constitutes a promising way to prepare versatile inorganic-organic polymer nanocomposites. The applied method is both simple and inexpensive and does not use toxic chemicals, unlike other chemical methods.

Synthesis of Al-MCM-41@Ag/TiO2 Nanocomposite and Its Photocatalytic Activity for Degradation of Dibenzothiophene

Mesoporous Al-MCM-41@Ag/TiO2 nanocomposites were synthesized successfully by combining the sol-gel method and hydrothermal treatment, using titanium isopropoxide (TTIP), AgNO3, and Vietnamese bentonite as precursors of Ti, Ag, and Si, respectively. The synthesized materials were well characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm measurements, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis/DRS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the photodegradation of dibenzothiophene (DBT) under both UV and visible light irradiation. MCM-41@Ag/TiO2 catalyst exhibited high catalytic activity for the oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of DBT reaching almost 100% conversions at 50°C after 2 h under UV and visible light irradiations. The significant enhanced degradation of DBT over Al-MCM-41@Ag/TiO2 might be due to the synergy effects of high surface area of MCM-41, well-distributed TiO2 anatase, and reduced electron-hole recombination rates due to the dispersion of Ag nanoparticles.

Electrospun titania fibers by incorporating graphene/Ag hybrids for the improved visible-light photocatalysis

A novel graphene/Ag nanoparticles (NPs) hybrid (prepared by a physical method (PM)) was incorporated into electrospun TiO2 fibers to improve visible-lightdriven photocatalytic properties. The experimental study revealed that the graphene/Ag NPs (PM) hybrid not only decreased the bandgap energy of TiO2, but also enhanced its light response in the visible region due to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect. In addition, compared with those of TiO2 fibers incorporating the graphene/Ag NPs hybrid (prepared by a chemical method (CM)), TiO2-graphene/Ag NPs (PM) fibers exhibited a higher surface photocurrent density and superior photocatalytic performance, i.e., the visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity was enhanced by 2 times. The main reasons include a lower surface defect density of the graphene/Ag NPs (PM) hybrid, a smaller particle size (10 nm) and a higher dispersity of Ag NPs, which promote the rapid transfer of photoexcited charge carriers and inhibit the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. It is expected that this kind of ternary electrospun fibers will be a promising candidate for applications in water splitting, solar cells, CO2 conversion and optoelectronic devices, etc.