Effect of Inducing Agents on Particles Distribution, Structure and Photocatalytic Performance of TiO₂ Embedded on Reduced Graphene Oxide

Abstract

The TiO2/reduced graphene oxide composite, synthesized by a facile one-pot hydrothermal method, was characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectrum, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy to observe the crystal structure, intensity of functional group, microstructure and optical property. The composite material was synthesized by using glucose, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as inducing agents, respectively. The structure and photocatalytic activity for degradation of methyl orange (MO) of the composite were investigated. The results reveal that the composite induced by glucose and SDS shows the highest activity, whose degradation rate can be up to 92% in 30min. However, 120 minutes is necessary for the commercial P25 to remove 90% methyl orange (MO). Compared with the composite prepared by self-assembly with no inducing agent, there are no obvious difference existing in the one induced by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in terms of photocatalytic reactivity.

Keywords

• inducing agent
• photocatalysis
• TiO₂
• graphene
• composite material