Novel ZnO tetrapod-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of phenolic compounds and MB dye

Abstract In the present work, a bunch of ZnO tetrapod-reduced graphene oxide (ZTPG) nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized via a simple and economical in-situ approach using high temperature refluxing method. The phase purity, morphology, optical and photocatalytic properties of NCs were studied comprehensively. Various weight percentage of rGO were proposed for efficient separation of electron hole pairs and improved photodegradation of phenolic compounds and methylene blue (MB) dye. The photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and MB dye in aqueous system was performed for the assessment of photodegradation productivity of various ZTPG NCs with illumination of UV-light. The utmost mineralization after photodegradation attained about 94.8% for 4-CP over ZTPG-5 with UV-light exposure for 180 min. Similarly, the efficiency was also found 98.05% for MB dye photodegradation after 90 min UV-light introduction. The improved photocatalytic performance of ZTPG-5 NCs attributed to the enhanced adsorption capacity of 4-CP and MB dye over nanocomposite photocatalyst, effectual suppression of the recombination rate of electron hole pairs by synergistic influence among ZnO tetrapod and rGO sheet.