•Simple one-pot procedure is introduced to synthesize BiVO4/TiO2/GO composite.•Its photocatalytic activity was evaluated through the degradation of RB-19.•Enhancement of photocatalytic performance was attributed to the introducion of GO.•Various samples were characterized by various characterization technologies.An efficient novel basic bismuth nitrate BiVO4/TiO2/GO photocatalyst was first synthesized by one-pot hydrothermal process. The physical and photophysical properties of the prepared photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS). BiVO4/TiO2/GO composite is the promising catalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant. In addition, compared with that of BiVO4 and BiVO4/TiO2, BiVO4/TiO2/GO showed much higher photodegradation efficiency toward RB-19.

•We synthesized RGO/BiVO4/SiO2 hybrid materials by a simple solvothermal method.•The RGO/BiVO4/SiO2 has enhanced photocatalytic activity than pure samples.•The low PL intensity of RGO/BiVO4/SiO2 improves the separation of electron–hole pairs.A novel reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/BiVO4/SiO2 composites with high-efficiency visible-light photocatalytic activity were synthesized by a simple one-step solvothermal method at 180 °C for 4 h. The as-prepared RGO/BiVO4/SiO2 hybrid material was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (UV–vis DRS), respectively. The photocatalytic activity of samples was evaluated by the degradation behaviors of C.I. Reactive Blue 19 in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation at room temperature, which is much higher than that of the pure semiconductor materials BiVO4 and hybrid material BiVO4/SiO2.

A bifunctional comonomer β-methylhydrogen itaconate was synthesized to prepare high molecular weight poly [acrylonitrile-co-(β-methylhydrogen itaconate)] [P (AN-co-MHI)] by mixed solvents polymerization, which was used as carbon fiber precursor instead of acrylonitrile terpolymers. The effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)/deionized water ratios on the polymerization, structure and stabilization of P (AN-co-MHI) was studied by elemental analysis, UV-Visible Spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The highest viscosity-average molecular weight (76.72 × 104 g/mol) of P(AN-co-MHI) was obtained in the mixed solvents of DMSO/deionized water = 10/90 (wt/wt) due to the zero chain transfer constant of deionized water for radical ~ ~ ~AN·, which is 10 times larger than that of P(AN-co-MHI) copolymers prepared in DMSO solution polymerization under the same conditions and is beneficial to improving the tensile strength of resulting carbon fiber. The composition of P(AN-co-MHI) was controlled by the ratio of DMSO/deionized water in the mixed solvents, it is attributed to the changes of AN/MHI ratio taking part in the polymerization reactions, which is caused by the different solubility of AN in the mixed solvents. From elemental analysis and FTIR studies, it can be found out that the content of MHI in P(AN-co-MHI) copolymer becomes larger with the increase of DMSO content in the mixed solvents. The FTIR, XRD and DSC results show that the stabilization of P(AN-co-MHI) copolymer was significantly improved by MHI compared with PAN homopolymer and poly (acrlonitrile-methyl acrylate-acrylic acid) terpolymer, such as larger extent of stabilization, lower initiation temperature and smaller Ea of cyclization, which is beneficial to preparing high performance carbon fiber.