Network of graphene/black phosphorus/ZnO for enhanced photocatalytic dye removal under visible light

Abstract

The synergistic effect between adsorption and photocatalysis with recoverable properties have attracted wide attention, and it is of great significance to construct a three-dimensional network structure catalyst with the properties of easy separation and recycle. In this study, three-dimensional network structure 3D-rGO/BP/ZnO was synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method, which possessed adsorption enrichment with photocatalytic degradation of RhB. Black phosphorous (BP) and ZnO were uniformly distributed and anchored into 3D-rGO structure, which was characterized by SEM, XRD, SEM, Raman, FTIR and XPS. The 3D-rGO network structure promoted pollutant enrichment, providing a preferable platform for the interaction between RhB and 3D-rGO/BP/ZnO. Three-dimensional structures with different BP loads were selected to analyze adsorption and catalytic capacity. The adsorption experiments showed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich model were appropriate for describing adsorption behavior. The photocatalytic experiment revealed that 3D-rGO/7-BP/ZnO had the best photocatalytic performance, which degrade 93.0% of RhB in 120 min 3D-rGO/BP/ZnO heterostructure could boost the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Species capture experiments showed that superoxide radicals (·O2−) were the main active species. After three catalytic cycles, the photocatalysts exhibited excellent stability. This study offered a fresh perspective on the effective use of photocatalyst in environmental rehabilitation.