Improved photoelectrocatalytic degradation of tetrabromobisphenol A with silver and reduced graphene oxide-modified TiO2 nanotube arrays under simulated sunlight

Abstract

In present study, reductive graphene oxide and silver nanoparticles co-comodified TiO2 nanotube arrays were prepared, and which was investigated to degrade tetrabromobisphenol A. The arrays co-modified with silver nanoparticles and reductive graphene oxide prepared by electrodeposition method exhibited good photoelectrocatalytic degradative activity for tetrabromobisphenol A, and the degradation efficiency reached 99.6% within 80 min. The synergistic effect of high photoresponse of Ag nanoparticles with their high capture ability for photogenerated electrons and the extended wavelength absorption range of reductive graphene oxide resulted in the highest degradation efficiencies. Degradation is postulated to follow a stepwise reductive debromination mechanism.