Reduced graphene oxide–TiO2 nanocomposite with high photocatalystic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B

Reduced graphene oxide–TiO2 (RGO–TiO2) nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized through a facile hydrothermal reaction with minor modification using graphene oxide (GO) and commercial P25 as starting materials in an ethanol–water solvent, followed by calcining temperature at 400 °C for 2 h in Ar. These nanocomposites prepared with different ratios of graphene oxide (GO) were characterized by BET surface area, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) absorption spectroscopy. The RGO–TiO2 nanocomposites exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than bare P25 for the degradation of rhodamine B (Rh.B) in an aqueous solution. The improved photocatalytic activities may be attributed to increased adsorbability for Rh.B molecular, light absorption levels in visible region and charge transfer rate in the presence of a two-dimensional graphene network.

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► The RGO–TiO2 nanocomposites have excellent structure and morphology.
► The RGO–TiO2 nanocomposites can be synthesized by a facile hydrothermal reaction.
► The (1:20) RGO–TiO2 nanocomposite with higher photocatalytic activity.
► The higher photocatalytic activity can be related to high adsorbability and efficient charge transportation.
► The nanoscale production makes this material practically useful for wastewater treatment.