Fabrication of ZnO/N-rGO composite as highly efficient visible-light photocatalyst for 2,4-DCP degradation and H2 evolution

Abstract

Abstract Nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) has been successfully hybridized with ZnO nanorods via solvothermal method. The physicochemical properties of the composite are investigated via different techniques. The optical and electrochemical analysis including photocurrent response, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that ZnO/N-rGO nanocomposite exhibited increased visible-light absorption and improved charge separation leading to the enhanced photocatalytic activities for the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) under visible-light illumination (≥420 nm). Photocatalytic experimental results indicated that the present nanocomposite photocatalyst showed significantly higher visible-light photocatalytic H2-evolution activity (13.7 μmol h−1) than the pure ZnO nanorods (3.1 μmol h−1).