Engineering of Hybrid Nanostructured Boron-rGO-VO2(B) Catalysts for Organic Pollutant Degradation

Abstract

The establishment of catalysts for the organic pollutants degradation are essential for advancing wastewater remediation techniques. In this study, the combination of 2D layered reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with 1D vanadium dioxide (VO2) nanorods (rGV) was developed using a hydrothermal method for the degradation of the methyl orange (MO). To improve the sonocatalytic pollutant degradation activity of rGV, the boron was incorporated on the rGV composites (BrGV). The structural formation and modification of rGV after inclusion of boron successfully verified through systematic characterization techniques, and confirmed the VO2 in its monoclinic crystal structure and modification of the electronic structure of the rGV by the boron. The microscopy analysis confirms the excellent formation of rGO sheets with VO2 nanorods in the BrGV nanostructure. The BrGV-2 nanocomposite exhibited excellent sonocatalytic activity, achieving 91.66% degradation of MO in 60 minutes. Optimal catalytic performance observed with a BrGV-2 concentration of 0.4 g/L at pH 6. Mechanistic studies revealed that superoxide radical anions and hydroxyl radicals are the primary reactive species involved in the sonocatalytic degradation of MO. Furthermore, the catalyst shows stability during cycle performances, emphasizing its possible for reuse in pollutant degradation and contributing to the field of advanced nanocomposite materials and environmental science.