Ternary composite WS2/GO/Au synthesized from laser ablation and hydrothermal method for photo- and electro-chemical degradation of methylene blue dye

Abstract

Photocatalysts based on two-dimensional (2D) material with full optical absorption in the visible region have gained a lot of interest as a potential method for the degradation of pollutants, but there are very few single materials that can fulfill this requirement. In this research, we are suggesting the formation of WS2/GO/Au ternary composite prepared by WS2 and GO using nanosecond laser ablation followed by adding Au using the hydrothermal method. Ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis), Raman, x-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopies, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) were used to investigate the microstructure, morphology, and spectroscopic properties of the samples that had been produced. The UV–Vis spectra suggest the formation of a ternary composite, and FE-SEM shows morphology as Au nanoparticles with a size ranging from 20 to 30 nm are perfectly mixed with WS2 nanosheets, which can be seen on GO sheets. SEM-Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopic (EDS) images indicate the availability of all elements in prepared samples and the formation of a ternary composite of WS2/GO/Au. XRD and Raman spectroscopy confirm the crystalline nature of AuNPs and WS2 and suggest the transformation of GO into rGO. The prepared pristine (WS2), binary (WS2/GO), and ternary composite show the capability for methylene blue degradation under UV-light irradiation as 41.85 %, 48.26 %, and 83.17 %, while electrocatalytic degradation gives 99 % for WS2/GO/Au respectively. The improved photocatalytic activity by the multicomponent has been demonstrated by nanostructured catalysts with specific morphology due to their exceptional electron transport characteristics. The WS2/GO/Au composite is anticipated to be an encouraging photoelectric material for experimental study in the research area of photocatalysis.