Efficient surface design of reduced graphene oxide, carbon nanotube and carbon active with cupper nanocrystals for enhanced simulated-solar-light photocatalytic degradation of acid orange in water

Abstract

A series of cupper/carbon based hybrid nanostructured composites is fabricated. Their photocatalytic performance has been investigated for photocatalytic degradation of acid orange 7. Physicochemical properties of the samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transition electron microscopy (TEM), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analyzer and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) techniques. Reactor tests indicate that Cu/RGO nanocomposite possess much higher photoactivity than Cu/MWCNT and Cu/AC. The pHpzc of Cu/RGO nanocomposite was further determined to be 6 by drift method. The superior photoactivity of Cu/RGO among Cu/MWCNT and Cu/AC is mainly because of a synergistic effect between RGO and Cu nanoparticles. In fact, excellent charge carrier mobility on the surface of RGO prolongs recombination of excited electrons; which results in improved photocatalytic performance of Cu/RGO. Furthermore, superconductivity of RGO due to its particular lattice, superior electron mobility and their electron acceptor behavior is regarded as an effective component in photocatalysis heterojunction systems. The effect of dye concentration, catalyst dosage and pH on degradation performance investigated.