Synthesis of new graphene oxide/TiO2 and TiO2/SiO2 nanocomposites and their evaluation as photocatalysts

Abstract

This article discusses the synthesis and characterization of various composites of graphene oxide with P-25 and TiO₂/SiO₂ hybrid materials, as well as their photocatalytic behavior. Different synthetic routes to these composites were studied, including treatment with heat (300–500 °C) in a tube furnace and mechanical treatment with ultrasound. Two different types of graphene oxide were used: edge-functionalized graphene oxide (edge-GO) and graphene oxide produced using the Hummers method (Hum-GO). The photocatalytic activity of the different nanocomposites was analyzed by studying the degradation of methyl orange (MO) and the photocatalytic reduction of benzaldehyde. The influence of the different graphene oxide types, TiO₂ materials, and synthetic routes on the photocatalytic activity will be presented.