Issue 11, 2017

Recyclable, bifunctional composites of perovskite type N-CaTiO3 and reduced graphene oxide as an efficient adsorptive photocatalyst for environmental remediation

Abstract

Graphene–semiconductor photocatalysts are of utmost interest for achieving visible light activity but there is ambiguity about the role played by graphene in these photocatalysts. Such photocatalysts exhibit both adsorptive and photocatalytic activities towards pollutant degradation. Herein, we report nitrogen doped CaTiO3 (NCT) perovskite coupled with reduced graphene oxide (RGO), RGO–NCT, composites for the first time and utilize them for environmental remediation as an efficient adsorptive photocatalyst. The adsorption and photocatalytic activity were evaluated by investigating the adsorption/degradation of a model dye, methylene blue (MB). In comparison with bare CT and NCT, the RGO–NCT composites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity, which could be attributed to the synergistic effect of the adsorption of dye molecules on the RGO surface followed by their degradation under visible light irradiation. In the degradation mechanism, we propose that the degradation of MB is not only due to the dye photosensitization process but also involves the true photocatalytic action of the RGO–NCT composites. The clear role of graphene as an electron acceptor is demonstrated by photoluminescence spectroscopic study. Also, the degradation of a colorless pollutant thiabendazole (TBZ) under visible light irradiation supports our hypothesis. In addition, the commendable stability and recyclability of RGO–NCT photocatalysts demonstrates that these materials can be used as potential, viable and stable photocatalysts for environmental remediation. In principle, we anticipate that our work paves the way for tailoring the photocatalytic activity of perovskite-type semiconductor materials by coupling with graphene for the design of recyclable bifunctional photocatalysts.

Graphical abstract: Recyclable, bifunctional composites of perovskite type N-CaTiO3 and reduced graphene oxide as an efficient adsorptive photocatalyst for environmental remediation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
08 Aug. 2017
Accepted
05 Sept. 2017
First published
06 Sept. 2017

Mater. Chem. Front., 2017,1, 2391-2404

Recyclable, bifunctional composites of perovskite type N-CaTiO3 and reduced graphene oxide as an efficient adsorptive photocatalyst for environmental remediation

A. Kumar, S. Kumar, A. Bahuguna, A. Kumar, V. Sharma and V. Krishnan, Mater. Chem. Front., 2017, 1, 2391 DOI: 10.1039/C7QM00362E

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