Reduced graphene oxide decorated transition metal manganese vanadium oxide nanorods for electrochemical supercapacitors and photocatalytic degradation of pollutants in water

Abstract

BackgroundGraphene-based nanostructured metal oxides have great attention in the field of electrochemistry and photochemistry due to their electrochemical, optical, and electronic properties. This Mn2V2O7-rGO hybrid catalyst demonstrated excellent stability and reusability, indicating that it is an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly catalyst. MethodsOur research aims to develop effective supercapacitor (SC) electrodes and photocatalysts by incorporating reduced graphene oxide (rGO) into manganese vanadium oxide (Mn2V2O7) nanorods to generate a Mn2V2O7-rGO hybrid composite via a single-step hydrothermal process. As prepared catalysts are investigated using different analytical methods such as optical, morphological, XPS, and ESR for radical analysis. Significant findingsThe Mn2V2O7-rGO nanorods coated on a carbon sheet exhibited a specific capacitance of 882 Fg−1 at 0.6 current density. The Mn2V2O7-rGO supercapacitor also exhibited long-term cyclic stability, with 88% of its original specific capacitance remaining after 2000 cycles. These findings open a new pathway for SCs as promising electrode materials. The Mn2V2O7-rGO hybrid was then tested for photocatalytic activity using ciprofloxacin (CIP). The photocatalytic reduction process destroyed >96% of the CIP after 60 min. The prepared catalyst was then used to investigate the electron transfer mechanism. The combination of rGO and Mn2V2O7 formed a conductive nano-network, yielding a highly active material.