Application of Titanium Dioxide-Graphene Composite Material for Photocatalytic Degradation of Alkylphenols

Abstract

Titanium dioxide-graphene (TiO2-G) composite was used for the photodegradation of alkylphenols in wastewater samples. The TiO2-G composites were prepared via sonochemical and calcination methods. The synthesized composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and fluorescence spectroscopy. The photocatalytic efficiency was evaluated by studying the degradation profiles of alkylphenols using gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). It was found that the synthesized TiO2-G composites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic efficiencies as compared to pristine TiO2. The presence of graphene not only provides a large surface area support for the TiO2photocatalyst, but also stabilizes charge separation by trapping electrons transferred from TiO2, thereby hindering charge transfer and enhancing its photocatalytic efficiency.