Enhanced photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide-doped graphene aerogel towards p-nitrophenol removal from aqueous solutions

Abstract

ABSTRACT Titanium dioxide-doped graphene aerogel (TiO2/GA) was synthesized via one-pot the hydrothermal method. The characterisation of the prepared nanocomposite was thoroughly investigated with various modern analysis method. The results revealed a good terms in both of photo–absorption and nanoparticle sizing. The low band-gap energy of 2.61 eV and the larger specific surface area of TiO2/GA are the main differentiators when compared to the pristine materials. The size of TiO2 nanoparticles has been observed to range from 5 to 20 nm, which is necessary to promote a high photocatalytic performance. The photocatalytic performance of TiO2/GA was examined through photodegradation of p-nitrophenol (PNP). The optimization via Box-Behnken model suggested that 99.89% of PNP could be removed at the pH 7, 20 mg photocatalyst dosage, and 1 mL H2O2 volume. With the excellent results obtained, TiO2/GA material has extensive promise in the emoval of phenolic.