Unraveling the photocatalytic performance of rGO/Nd2O3/MoO3 ternary nanocomposite with organic dyes using scanning Kelvin probe

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the efficiency of visible-light activated rGO/Nd2O3/MoO3 ternary nanocomposite for the degradation of methylene blue (MB), rose bengal (RB), and real-time industrial effluent (RTIE) samples for wastewater treatment. The samples were characterized via XRD, Raman, UV–vis, FT-IR, FESEM/EDX, Zeta-potential, and Scanning Kelvin Probe (SKP) techniques. Crystalline nature and structure were identified using XRD and Raman. The bandgap of prepared samples was calculated from absorption spectra obtained from the UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. FT-IR analysis determined the function groups in rGO, MoO3, rGO/Nd2O3, and rGO/Nd2O3/MoO3. Furthermore, the morphology and elemental composition percentage of pure nanoparticles and nanocomposite were confirmed by FESEM/EDX. The surface area and pore size were evaluated using BET-BJH. Work function evaluated from a novel approach SKP in the dark (5.25 eV) and under light (5.02 eV) exposure indicating the formation of the new energy level of charge carriers, minimizing electron-hole recombination rate. The maximum photodegradation efficiency of the hybrid rGO/Nd2O3/MoO3 nanocomposite was ∼ 99% for MB and ∼ 95% for RB under visible light. Our investigations unravel the mechanism behind the photodegradation process of model dyes and industrial effluents with rGO/Nd2O3/MoO3, which will create a new pathway in wastewater treatment applications.