Introduction Of Graphene Oxide Research Articles

A versatile LTF-GO/gel hydrogel with antibacterial and antioxidative attributes for skin wound healing

Skin wound healing will become a pressing and difficult problem following injury to the skin structure. Persistent wounds, in particular, become more vulnerable to bacterial infections, which can contribute to persistent skin inflammation. Therefore, it is critical to create a wound dressing that promotes wound healing while also being antimicrobial. In the present work, a multifunctional biological activity hydrogel formed by enzymatic cross-linking was developed by introducing graphene oxide (GO) and lactoferrin to gelatin hydrogel. Furthermore, by incorporating lactoferrin, the composite hydrogels exhibit excellent in vitro antibacterial and biocompatibility. According to cell experiments, the LTF-GO/Gel hydrogel can improve wound healing by enhancing L929 cell migration. Interestingly, under near-infrared light, LTF-GO/Gel hydrogel increases the generation of singlet oxygen (1O2) and hydroxyl radical (-OH), making the hydrogel system excellent antioxidant and antibacterial capabilities, these results demonstrate that the LTF-GO/Gel hydrogel has clinical promise as a wound dressing for wound healing. In vivo experiments unequivocally establish the capacity of the LTF-GO/Gel hydrogel to expedite wound healing and mitigate inflammation. This hydrogel, therefore, harbors immense potential for applications in wound healing.

Preparation of Fe3O4@GO@MIL-101 nanocomposites and efficient degradation of oxytetracycline hydrochloride by promoting charge separation during the photo-Fenton process

The combination of photocatalysis and Fenton oxidation technology is an efficient strategy to improve the efficiency of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) degradation. Herein, a Fe3O4@GO@MIL-101 composite catalyst bridged with graphene oxide (GO) was obtained by a two-stage hydrothermal method. The introduced graphene oxide layer could inhibit the recombination of electron hole (e−- h+) pairs by attracting photo-generated electrons from MIL-101 and transferring them to Fe3O4, observably enhancing the photocatalytic performance of the composite Fe3O4/MOFs. Under the optimal conditions (initial pH, 10 mmol H2O2, 0.01 g/L catalyst), the Fe3O4@GO@MIL-101 + H2O2+Vis system could achieve a degradation effect of 97.26 % on 70 mg/L OTC-HCl within 50 min Fe3O4@GO@MIL-101 nanocomposites exhibited good recyclability, were easy to recover after multiple uses, and maintained excellent removal efficiency for pollutants. A series of data demonstrated that in Fe3O4@GO@MIL-101 + H2O2+Vis system, the primary active substances involved in OTC-HCl degradation were holes and superoxide radicals, while the contributions of hydroxyl radicals and photo generated electrons were relatively weak. Finally, based on various characterization results and catalyst activity performance, a feasible mechanism for the removal of OTC-HCl by Fenton-like system was proposed.

Surface modification of AZ31 Mg alloy by diopside/fluorohydroxyapatite/graphene oxide nanocomposite coating: Corrosion and bioactivity evaluations

There is a high research demand to enhance magnesium-based orthopedic implants' biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. This work reports the development of a nanocomposite ceramic coating based on diopside (Dio) / fluorohydroxyapatite (FHA) / graphene oxide (GO) via the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method on the AZ31 Mg alloy substrate. FESEM, EDS, XRD, and FTIR were employed to characterize the physicochemical properties of the synthesized diopside and fluorohydroxyapatite ceramic nanoparticles and the EPD ceramic films. The introduction of GO in the Dio/FHA composite film eliminated pores and cracks, improved coating quality, and reduced the film thickness. AFM confirmed a decrease in surface roughness from 184.6 nm to 171.8 nm and wettability enhanced by contact angle reduction from 52.1° to 38.3°. Electrochemical polarization and EIS analyses indicated an 83% boost in corrosion resistance and a 52% reduction in corrosion current density in Dio/FHA/GO vs. Dio/FHA sample. Bioactivity evaluation after five days of immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) was suggestive that the synergistic effect of Dio, FHA, and GO caused the most abundant apatite formation in Dio/FHA/GO film. The antibacterial activity findings showed that the Dio/FHA/GO coating could function as an antibacterial nanocomposite coating against S. Aureus and E. Coli. Overall, the Dio/FHA/GO EPD film is a highly potential ceramic biomedical coating to improve the corrosion resistance, surface properties, bioactivity, and antibacterial behavior of Mg alloys.

Asymmetric and Skin-Mimicking Hydrogels with Wide Temperature Tolerance and Superior Elasticity for High-Performance Strain Sensors.

Wide temperature tolerance and superior mechanical properties are highly required for composite hydrogels in electronic applications such as electronic skins and soft robotics. In this work, a unique polyacrylamide-based and double-network hydrogel system is designed and fabricated by introducing graphene oxide and glycerol to improve mechanical properties as well as antifreezing and antiheating properties. Maximum stress of the graphene oxide-incorporated hydrogel increases rapidly to 500.0 kPa which is much higher than that of polymetric acrylamide/carboxymethylcellulose sodium hydrogel (281.7 kPa), probably due to the inhibition from graphene oxide in generation and propagation of cracks. With constantly adding glycerol, total elongation and antifreezing and heating properties of the composite hydrogels increase gradually. Especially, sample with 20 vol % of glycerol not only shows stable conductivity and wide temperature tolerance (-50 to 50 °C) but also has ideal strength-toughness match (597.6 kPa and 1263.4%), suggesting that synergistic effect of different layers in the asymmetric structure plays an active role in improvement of mechanical properties.

Improving the interfacial properties of PVA fiber and cementitious composite: Design and characterization

Poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber has been widely applied to improve the ductility of cementitious materials, and the overall performance of fiber reinforced cementitious materials largely depends on the interfacial properties of the fiber and cementitious matrix. In this work, a novel design of graphene oxide (GO) modified PVA fiber is proposed to improve the interfacial properties of PVA fiber and cementitious matrix. It is found that the interaction between GO and PVA fiber forms the hydrogen bond and enables the GO to form a tight three-dimensional bonding on the surface of the PVA fiber. Meanwhile, the oxygen-containing functional groups of GO could form chemical bond with the hydration products and promote the formation of denser microstructure at the interface. Therefore, the introduction of GO prominently improves the interfacial properties of PVA fiber and cementitious matrix, which is verified by the characterizations on the microstructures and morphologies. Furthermore, it is found that GO remarkedly improves the interfacial mechanical properties and results that a zone with the enhanced mechanical properties appears near the interface, verified by the characterizations on the micro-mechanical properties including fracture toughness near the interface.

Preparation of 1,8-dichloroanthraquinone/graphene oxide/poly (vinylidene fluoride) (1,8-AQ/GO/PVDF) mediator membrane and its application to catalyzing biodegradation of azo dyes

Anthraquinone is a redox mediator that can effectively catalyze the degradation of azo dyes by promoting the electron transfer. In this study, a mediator membrane with poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) as the membrane support and 1,8-dichloroanthraquinone (1,8-AQ) and graphene oxide (GO) as the additives was prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and water contact angle. The introduction of GO increases the pure water flux of the membrane to 258.56±12.93 L/(m2·h). Its catalytic performances for the biodegradation of azo dyes were evaluated. Under the optimized conditions, the 1,8-AQ/GO/PVDF composite membrane is able to improve the dye degradation efficiency 2.2 times for reactive red X-3B and 1.1 times for acid red B, as compared with PVDF membrane. In addition, the mediator membrane maintains stable and high catalytic efficiency in the cyclic test and over 90 % dye degradation efficiency is still obtained after 5 cycles of decolorization. These results suggest the great application potentials of the 1,8-AQ/GO/PVDF membrane in the dye wastewater treatment.

Enhancement in proton conductivity and vanadium resistance of SPEEK-based hybrid membrane induced by incorporating amphoteric GO-DA nanofillers for vanadium flow battery

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)-based hybrid membranes (S/GO-DA) have been fabricated through the solution-mixing method, and the introduced graphene oxide (GO) nanofillers functionalized by 2, 4-diaminobenesulfonic acid (DA) afford outstanding physicochemical properties and excellent battery performance for the S/GO-DA membranes. At low loading 1 wt% GO-DA nanofillers, the S/GO-DA-1 membrane gives the highest ion selectivity (45.4 × 103 S min cm−3) and the lowest vanadium ion permeability (7.38 × 10−7 cm2 min−1), which is superior to Nafion 212 (3.0 × 103 S min cm−3, 42.5 × 10−7 cm2 min−1) and SPEEK (3.85 × 103 S min cm−3, 94.4 × 10−7 cm2 min−1), respectively. Moreover, the better energy efficiency (81.1–68.6 %) and longer self-discharge time (78.3 h) of S/GO-DA-1 at 100–200 mA cm−2 current density further prove its good structure stability and durability, elucidating the balanced proton conductivity and vanadium resistance is helpful to enhance the membrane performance. In addition, after cycling at 150 mA cm−2 current density for at least 200 cycles, 76.3 % energy efficiency and 26.9 % charge retention rate are given, illustrating the combined physical barrier of GO-DA nanofillers and the acid-base interaction contribute a synergistic promoting effect on enhancing the battery efficiency of the S/GO-DA hybrid membranes. Therefore, the present work provides a facile method to construct a high-performance proton exchange membrane by developing 2D nanostructured nanofillers containing various chemical covalent-bonded functional amphoteric molecular chains.

Graphene Oxide/Cholesterol-Substituted Zinc Phthalocyanine Composites with Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy Properties.

In the present work, cholesterol (Chol)-substituted zinc phthalocyanine (Chol-ZnPc) and its composite with graphene oxide (GO) were prepared for photodynamic therapy (PDT) applications. Briefly, Chol-substituted phthalonitrile (Chol-phthalonitrile) was synthesized first through the substitution of Chol to the phthalonitrile group over the oxygen bridge. Then, Chol-ZnPc was synthesized by a tetramerization reaction of Chol-phthalonitrile with ZnCl2 in a basic medium. Following this, GO was introduced to Chol-ZnPc, and the successful preparation of the samples was verified through FT-IR, UV-Vis, 1H-NMR, MALDI-TOF MS, SEM, and elemental analysis. Regarding PDT properties, we report that Chol-ZnPc exhibited a singlet oxygen quantum yield (Φ∆) of 0.54, which is slightly lower than unsubstituted ZnPc. Upon introduction of GO, the GO/Chol-ZnPc composite exhibited a higher Φ∆, about 0.78, than that of unsubstituted ZnPc. Moreover, this enhancement was realized with a simultaneous improvement in fluorescence quantum yield (ΦF) to 0.36. In addition, DPPH results suggest low antioxidant activity in the composite despite the presence of GO. Overall, GO/Chol-ZnPc might provide combined benefits for PDT, particularly in terms of image guidance and singlet oxygen generation.

Macrofibers with tunable mechanical performance and reversible rotational motion based on a bacterial cellulose hydrogel film

Mechanically twisting a yarn is a useful and important method for creating internal stress, changing macromolecular orientation, and affording interesting fiber properties, including mechanical, structural, physical and chemical properties. Bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibers are a new type of highly crystalline bionanofibers exhibiting excellent intrinsic mechanical properties. Herein, BC macrofibers with a diameter of 0.35–0.53 mm were prepared from BC hydrogel films using a two-step technique involving drying and twisting processes. Moreover, the effects of the drying method (oven- and freeze-drying) and those of the processing steps on the morphologies, structures, and physicochemical properties of the macrofibers were investigated. Results indicated that only the wet twisting–first process affords continuous macrofibers with a compact and uniform structure. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the macrofibers were 199 MPa and 24%, respectively. Furthermore, by introducing graphene oxide (GO) to the macrofibers, a photothermal and moisture actuator was facilely constructed, which could produce a twisting motion of 0.39 rpm and an untwisting motion of 0.6 rpm. This study provides insights into methods to easily alter the properties of BC macrofibers, which is pivotal for the macrofiber’s potential application in intelligent devices.

Effect of graphene oxide as a nanomaterial on the bond behaviour of engineered cementitious composites by applying RSM modelling and optimization

A crucial aspect of the design approach for bar-reinforced concrete buildings is the proper transfer of loads between the concrete and steel reinforcement via bonding. Bar pull-out tests were done to see how graphene oxide (GO) affected the bond strength, bond energy, and bond stress–slip response of deformed reinforcing bars implanted in engineered cementitious composites (ECC). This was done to improve the bond strength of steel/concrete composites. This article examines the bonding behaviour of steel reinforcing bars in a mixture of GO-modified ECC. The findings of pull-out assessments conducted on two distinct diameters (12 and 16 mm) of reinforcement steel bar inserted in ECC are initially provided. The investigation's findings are then utilised to determine the bond-slip interactions that describes the relations between the ECC mixtures and steel reinforcement bars. According to the experiment results, the introduction of GO as a nano-reinforcement in the ECC mixture had a considerable positive effect on the bar-matrix interactions owing to its bridging function. After 28 days, the bond strength of steel bars with widths of 12 and 16 mm was increased by 54.80% and 26.70%, respectively, when 0.05 wt% of GO was added to 1% of PVA fibre. The response surface methodology (RSM) is employed for developing predictive algorithms, which are then utilised in performing multi-variate optimization on bond-slip parameters, including bond strength, bond slip and bond energy. The acquired actual and predicted findings suggest that the created models are adequate for interpreting the bond performance of reinforcement steel bars in the GO-ECC.

A high-efficient and salt-rejecting 2D film for photothermal evaporation

The solar-driven desalination is seen as a sustainable way to combat water scarcity. However, the solar steam generation efficiency has long been restricted by the high vaporization enthalpy of water and low energy density of natural sunlight. We introduced graphene oxide (GO) cross-linked with polyethyleneimine (PEI) as the photothermal material, with the enriched ammonic functional groups in modified GO membrane (GPM) activating water molecules to evaporate with much lower energy consumption. The vaporization enthalpy at the air-film interface is reduced up to 42% in GPM film by tuning the thermodynamic states of water. Consequently, GPM film enables a high evaporation rate of 2.48kg m-2 h-1 with 95.7% energy conversion efficiency under 1 sun. With the aid of positive charges introduced by hydrolysis of PEI, the GPM exhibits excellent salt resistance and delivers an evaporation rate around 1.8kg m-2 h-1 when treating 20 wt% NaCl solution.

A new strategy for improvement of interface and mechanical properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composites by grafting graphene oxide onto carbon fiber with hyperbranched polymers via thiol‐ene click chemistry

AbstractFor the purpose of improving the interface and mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites, a new strategy was proposed to graft the graphene oxide (GO) onto carbon fiber (CF) surface fast and effectively via thiol‐ene click chemistry reaction using vinyl‐terminated hyperbranched polyester (VHBP) as bridging agent. The successful synthesis of the CF‐VHBP‐GO hybrid reinforcement was verified through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), x‐ray photoelectron spectroscope, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The simultaneous introduction of GO and hyperbranched polymers changed the fiber surface morphology and improved the wettability and surface energy of CF. Judging from the results of the micro‐droplet test, the interfacial shear strength for epoxy (EP) based composite reinforced with CF‐VHBP‐GO was significantly increased by 137.8% compared to untreated CF/EP composite owing to the synergistic effect of VHBP and GO. In addition, the tensile and flexural strength for CF‐VHBP‐GO/EP composite were improved by 47.6% and 65.8%, respectively, compared to untreated CF/EP composite, respectively. This work offers a promising technique for developing high‐performance CF composites with excellent interface properties.

Construction of superhydrophobic GO/Ca coating on AZ31 magnesium alloy for enhanced anti-corrosion performance

The application of magnesium alloys has garnered increasing interests in transportation, electronics and biomedical engineering fields, and the fabrication of superhydrophobic coatings on the surface of magnesium alloys is considered as an effective means to improve the corrosion resistance. However, major technical barriers restricting its application lie in the long-term durability and mechanical properties of superhydrophobic coatings. Herein, a calcium myristate coating with graphene oxide (GO) is fabricated on AZ31 magnesium alloy by electrodeposition. The coating is constructed in a particularly simple and gentle way by the synergy of inorganic nanomaterials and organic acid salts. It was found that the deposition time significantly affected the morphology, thickness and wettability of the GO/Ca coating and further influenced the corrosion resistance and durability. The best corrosion resistance is obtained when the deposition time is 30 min. With 30 min deposition, the corrosion current density of the substrate was reduced by 3 orders to (2.38 ± 1.02)× 10−9 A cm−2, and the impedance modulus at the lowest frequency could reach 108 Ω cm2. And after 21 days of immersion, the impedance modulus at low frequency of GO/Ca-30 is still as high as 105. It could be attributed to the tortuous path and denser structure with introduction of GO. Besides this, the scratch test and adhesion strength describe that the GO/Ca coating presents a good adhesion to the substrate. Considering its satisfying corrosion resistance, long-term durability and high adhesion strength, it is expected that the as-prepared superhydrophobic coating on AZ31 alloy is promising for anti-corrosion application.

Modification Approaches of Polyphenylene Oxide Membranes to Enhance Nanofiltration Performance.

Presently, water pollution poses a serious threat to the environment; the removal of organic pollutants from resources, especially dyes, is very important. Nanofiltration (NF) is a promising membrane method to carry out this task. In the present work, advanced supported poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) membranes were developed for NF of anionic dyes using bulk (the introduction of graphene oxide (GO) into the polymer matrix) and surface (the deposition of polyelectrolyte (PEL) layers by layer-by-layer (LbL) technique) modifications. The effect of PEL combinations (polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride/polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyethyleneimine (PEI)/PAA, and polyallylamine hydrochloride/PAA) and the number of PEL bilayers deposited by LbL method on properties of PPO-based membranes were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle measurements. Membranes were evaluated in NF of food dye solutions in ethanol (Sunset yellow (SY), Congo red (CR), and Alphazurine (AZ)). The supported PPO membrane, modified with 0.7 wt.% GO and three PEI/PAA bilayers, exhibited optimal transport characteristics: ethanol, SY, CR, and AZ solutions permeability of 0.58, 0.57, 0.50, and 0.44 kg/(m2h atm), respectively, with a high level of rejection coefficients-58% for SY, 63% for CR, and 58% for AZ. It was shown that the combined use of bulk and surface modifications significantly improved the characteristics of the PPO membrane in NF of dyes.

A graphene oxide/Zn-metal organic framework electrochemical sensor for acetaminophen detection

In this study, an electrochemical sensor based on graphene oxide (GO)/Zn-metal organic framework (ZIF-8) composite electrode was used to detect acetaminophen (APAP). GO/ZIF-8 was characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical behavior of APAP on GO/ZIF-8 modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The DPV signal of GO/ZIF-8 for APAP detection is 4.3 times higher than pure ZIF-8, and the efficient electrochemical performance was attributed to that introduction of GO can effectively enhance the electron transport capacity of ZIF-8. The sensor exhibits a linear range of 0.05–1.3 µM and a low detection limit of 0.014 µM. It shows excellent selectivity, repeatability and also can be used to determine APAP in human urine samples and drug tablets.

Regulation of Electrocatalytic Behavior by Axial Oxygen Enhances the Catalytic Activity of CoN4 Sites for CO2 Reduction.

Recent studies have found that the existence of oxygen around the active sites may be essential for efficient electrochemical CO2 -to-CO conversion. Hence, this work proposes the modulation of oxygen coordination and investigates the as-induced catalytic behavior in CO2 RR. It designs and synthesizes conjugated phthalocyanine frameworks catalysts (CPF-Co) with abundant CoN4 centers as an active source, and subsequently modifies the electronic structure of CPF-Co by introducing graphene oxide (GO) with oxygen-rich functional groups. A systematic study reveals that the axial coordination between oxygen and the catalytic sites could form an optimized O-CoN4 structure to break the electron distribution symmetry of Co, thus reducing the energy barrier to the activation of CO2 to COOH*. Meanwhile, by adjusting the content of oxygen, the proper supports can also facilitate the charge transfer efficiency between the matrix layer and the catalytic sites. The optimized CPF-Co@LGO exhibits a high TOF value (2.81 s-1 ), CO selectivity (97.6%) as well as stability (24h) at 21mAcm-2 current density. This work reveals the modulation of oxygen during CO2 RR and provides a novel strategy for the design of efficient electrocatalysts, which may inspire new exploration and principles for CO2 RR.

Characterization of a Graphene Oxide-Reinforced Whey Hydrogel as an Eco-Friendly Absorbent for Food Packaging.

This study presents a structural analysis of a whey and gelatin-based hydrogel reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) by ultraviolet and visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results revealed barrier properties in the UV range for the reference sample (containing no graphene oxide) and the samples with minimal GO content of 0.66×10-3% and 3.33×10-3%, respectively, in the UV-VIS and near-IR range; for the samples with higher GO content, this was 6.67×10-3% and 33.33×10-3% as an effect of the introduction of GO into the hydrogel composite. The changes in the position of diffraction angles 2θ from the X-ray diffraction patterns of GO-reinforced hydrogels indicated a decrease in the distances between the turns of the protein helix structure due to the GO cross-linking effect. Transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM) was used for GO, whilst scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used for the composite characterization. A novel technique for investigating the swelling rate was presented by performing electrical conductivity measurements, the results of which led to the identification of a potential hydrogel with sensor properties.

Exploiting graphene oxide as a potential additive to improve the performance of cold‐mixed epoxy asphalt binder

AbstractAs a green material for high‐performance paving, cold‐mixed epoxy asphalt (CEA) should be improved in compatibility, mechanical performance, and thermal stability. This work is going to estimate the potential of graphene oxide (GO) as an additive for preparing GO/CEA composites with different GO content from 0 to 0.2 wt%. The influences of GO on the structure and performances of CEA were evaluated by Fourier transform‐infrared spectrum, fluorescence microscopy, viscosity, thermogravimetric analysis, tensile test, and dynamic mechanical analysis. Results showed that the functional groups on GO reacted with CEA and improved the compatibility of epoxy resin and asphalt. The viscosity of the GO/CEA composites increased slightly and the pot life decreased significantly, with GO loading increasing. The cured GO/CEA composite with 0.1 wt% GO had the best heat resistance and showed a gentle thermal decomposition. GO improved the toughness of the cured CEA and had a certain weakening effect on its strength. The introduction of GO lowered the glass transition temperature of the cured CEA from 51.4 to 47.1 °C and decreased its storage modulus. The preliminary exploration of this study shows that the modification of GO for CEA is feasible, and it is expected to prolong the service life of CEA.

Effect of graphene oxide particle as nanomaterial in the production of engineered cementitious composites including superplasticizer, fly ash, and polyvinyl alcohol fiber

Graphene oxide (GO) is a desirable nanoparticle for strengthening composite material owing to its outstanding mechanical characteristics. This research examines the influence of graphene oxide (GO) on the mechanical characteristics of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECCs), including their mechanical performance under tension and compression conditions. In this study, GO was utilized with different percentages like 0 %. 0.02 %, 0.04 %, 0.05 %, 0.06 %, 0.08 % and 0.10 % by the weight of cement for determining the compressive strength, direct tensile strength and modulus of elasticity of ECC mixture. However, the dry density is improving as the content of GO increases while the water absorption is getting reduced blended with GO as nanomaterials rises in the ECC mixture after 28 days correspondingly. It has been observed that the use of GO as nanomaterial up to 0.08 % in ECC mixture is providing optimum compressive strength, tensile strength and modulus of elasticity after 28 days respectively. The increased composite strength as well as the chemical connection formed by the introduction of GO between the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber and the cement matrix are both responsible for the excellent mechanical characteristics of the GO-reinforced ECC mixture.

Oxygen vacancies facilitated photocatalytic detoxification of three typical contaminants over graphene oxide surface embellished BiOCl photocatalysts

A conventional solvothermal way was used to synthesize graphene oxide (GO)/BiOCl photocatalytic nanomaterials with enhanced photocatalytic performance. Due to the introduction of GO, there are intuitive changes in morphology, indicating that GO can guide the growth of GO/BiOCl catalysts. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman show that a strong chemical interaction occurs around GO and BiOCl. The results of trapping experiments show that O2– is the major active species. XPS analysis confirms that the 0.75% GO/BiOCl produces the highest level of oxygen vacancies (OVs). All the GO/BiOCl photocatalysts possess better photocatalytic properties than the neat BiOCl, and 0.5% GO/BiOCl exhibits the highest photoactivity. The photocatalytic activity of 0.5% GO/BiOCl composite for detoxification of rhodamine B (RhB) and tetracycline (TC) under visible light illumination is 4.6 and 6.3 times of that on the reference BiOCl, separately, the photocatalytic activity of 0.5% GO/BiOCl for detoxication of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is 1.25 times of that of the single BiOCl under UV light illumination, which can be credited to the high separation rate of carriers and the strong interaction between GO and BiOCl. Combining with the results, a separation and transfer mechanism of carriers was revealed.