Efficient synthesis and characterization of novel BiVO4/ZnO/graphene composites to study enhanced photocatalytic activity for organic pollutant degradation

Abstract

This study reports the efficient synthesis and thorough characterization of novel graphene doped BiVO4/ZnO nanocomposites. Among these doping percentages, 3% BVZO/G is optimized composite as it shows the highest photocatalytic performance i–e 98% and 95% among all the doping percentages. Under the visible light exposure λ⩾420nm , the decomposition of tetracycline (TC) and methylene blue has been studied to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the prepared composites. The characterization techniques such as photoluminescence spectroscopy, UV visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared have been used to investigate the optical, structural, morphological, and vibrational properties respectively. The findings of the research indicate that the doping of graphene resulted in enhanced absorption of visible light and efficient mitigation of charge carrier recombination. To check the stability of optimized photocatalyst, reusability test has been performed. Additionally, role of active species has been examined using different scavengers in trapping experiment. By understanding the composite material for the enhanced photocatalysis, the results of this research help to design a sustainable and efficient photocatalyst.