Abstract
The preparation of immobilized graphene-based photocatalyst layers is highly desired for environmental applications. In this study, the preparation of an immobilized reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/TiO2 composite by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) was optimized. It enabled quantitative deposition without sintering and without the use of any dispersive additive. The presence of rGO had beneficial effects on the photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol in an aqueous solution. A marked increase in the photocatalytic degradation rate was observed, even at very low concentrations of rGO. Compared with the TiO2 and GO/TiO2 reference layers, use of the rGO/TiO2 composite (0.5 wt% of rGO) increased the first-order reaction rate constant by about 70%. This enhanced performance was due to the increased formation of hydroxyl radicals that attacked the 4-chlorophenol molecules. The direct charge transfer mechanism had only limited effect on the degradation. Thus, EPD-prepared rGO/TiO2 layers appear to be suitable for environmental application.
Highlights
Graphene-based nanomaterials possess unique properties that can be applied to environmental remediation [1,2,3,4,5]
We identified tetrahydrofuran (THF) as the most suitable solvent for reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/TiO2 deposition because of its low toxicity, sufficient volatility, and suitable electric properties
In the presence of positively charged TiO2 particles, rGO did not migrate to the anode because the positive charge of TiO2 prevailed, and, the composite was deposited on the cathode
Summary
Graphene-based nanomaterials possess unique properties that can be applied to environmental remediation [1,2,3,4,5]. The interest in these nanomaterials originates from graphene’s unique physicochemical properties [6], notably its exceptionally high surface area, electron and thermal mobility [7,8,9], and mechanical strength [10]. Reduction results in an altered chemical structure, with carbon vacancies, residual oxygen content, and clustered pentagon and heptagon carbon structures [13]
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