A facile route to synthesize ternary Cu2O quantum dot/graphene-TiO2 nanocomposites with an improved photocatalytic effect

摘要

A Cu2O quantum dot/graphene-TiO2 composite, a novel material, was successfully synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method. The hydrothermal reaction was used to load the Cu2O and TiO2 particles onto graphene sheets, and the resulting photocatalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). UV spectrophotometry was employed to measure the decrease in the concentration of rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue trihydrate (MB), and reactive black B (RBB) dyes in an aqueous solution after degradation with the photocatalysts under irradiation with visible light. The results indicate that the quantum dot-sized Cu2O is a promising material that contributes to the photocatalytic activity of Cu2O quantum dot/graphene-TiO2 composites.