Abstract
Nanocomposite films of rGO/MFeO3 (M = Bi, La) nanofibers were grown by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation of frozen target dispersions containing GO platelets and MFeO3 nanofibers. Electron microscopy investigations confirmed the successful fabrication of MFeO3 nanofibers by electrospinning Part of nanofibers were broken into shorter units, and spherical nanoparticles were formed during laser processing. Numerical simulations were performed in order to estimate the maximum temperature values reached by the nanofibers during laser irradiation. X-ray diffraction analyses revealed the formation of perovskite MFeO3 phase, whereas secondary phases of BiFeO3 could not be completely avoided, due to the high volatility of bismuth. XPS measurements disclosed the presence of metallic bismuth and Fe2+ for BiFeO3, whereas La2(CO3)3 and Fe2+ were observed in case of LaFeO3 nanofibers. High photocatalytic efficiencies for the degradation of methyl orange were achieved for nanocomposite films, both under UV and visible light irradiation conditions. Degradation values of up to 70% after 400 min irradiation were obtained for rGO/LaFeO3 nanocomposite thin layers, with weights below 10 µg, rGO platelets acting as reservoirs for photoelectrons generated at the surface of MFeO3.
Highlights
Water purification from organic materials and other hazardous chemicals is of significant importance, given the high industrial demands of our society
We report the synthesis and growth of porous MFeO3 (MFO, M = Bi, La) nanofibers/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite films by a simple laser-based strategy called matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE)
Nanocomposite films consisting of MFO (M = Bi, La) nanofibers and rGO platelets were synthesized
Summary
Water purification from organic materials and other hazardous chemicals is of significant importance, given the high industrial demands of our society. Photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants by using sunlight is an environmentally friendly approach developed for wastewater purification. Semiconductor transition metal oxides, most frequently TiO2 or ZnO, are used in photocatalytic processes, due to their non-toxicity, photochemical stability, and low cost [4,5]. Even so, their absorption is limited to the UV range (~5% of total sunlight radiation) due to their large band gap (~3.2 eV). Their absorption is limited to the UV range (~5% of total sunlight radiation) due to their large band gap (~3.2 eV) Their high electron–hole recombination rate is inconvenient, as it must be overcome in order to reach high photocatalytic
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