Well-spread Ag3PO4 particles (5 nm in size) were synthesized on the surface of attapulgite (ATP) for the sunlight-driven catalytic removal of Orange II from water. The attapulgite-Ag3PO4 composites were characterized by XRD, XRF, XPS and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were successfully loaded onto the ATP surface with a uniform distribution of spherical particles without any evident aggregation. The photocatalytic activity and stability of Ag3PO4 were significantly improved by loading on ATP. In addition, the silver content in the photocatalyst composite decreased from 773 wt% in bare Ag3PO4 to 18.8 wt% in the composite, which will greatly decrease the cost of the treatment. Although Ag3PO4 precipitated quickly in aqueous solution, the results showed that it also can be applied as a coating onto the carriers, which can avoid the aggregation of nanoparticles into micrometer-sized particles in solutions. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.