Enhanced photocatalytic activity of hybrid reduced graphene oxide-CeO2 hierarchical flower-like nanostructures

摘要

The combination of the unique properties of graphene with functional characteristics of metal oxides is an interesting pathway to achieve desirable properties for various applications. Herein, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybridized with CeO2 nanoparticle (CeO2-NPs) or CeO2 hierarchical flower-like nanostructure (CeO2-HFNs) composites were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal or solvothermal processes. The microstructure, morphology and photocatalytic performance of the synthesized rGO-CeO2 nanocomposites were systematically investigated under simulated sun irradiation, using methylene blue (MB) as a test dye. The results show that rGO can prevent the aggregation, support the CeO2-NPs distribution or wrap the CeO2-HFNs. The rGO-CeO2-HFNs exhibit an enhanced photodegradation rate (96%) in comparison with bare CeO2-HFNs (73%) and bare CeO2-NPs (67%) towards the degradation of MB. The enhancement can be attributed to separation of electron-hole pairs and large specific area for the rGO-CeO2-HFNs. The low rGO-to-CeO2 mass fraction makes this high-performance catalyst more economical and promising for environmental application.