Graphene Oxide Incorporated Zinc Oxide Thin Films by Spray Pyrolysis for Efficient Photodegradation of Methylene Blue

Abstract

AbstractPhotodegradation of methylene blue dye was studied with pure and graphene oxide incorporated zinc oxide thin films as catalysts. Graphene oxide content in the precursor solution was varied from 0.0005 to 0.005 g/L. Thin films were prepared by automated spray pyrolysis technique at a substrate temperature of 425 °C. Structural studies revealed the formation of hexagonal wurtzite structure of zinc oxide. Carbon presence in the films was confirmed with energy‐dispersive spectroscopy. Optical band gap of the samples was determined using Tauc method. Intensity of the near band emission of photoluminescence spectrum was found to decrease upon increasing graphene oxide concentration. Photocatalytic activity of all the films has been studied against methylene blue dye under solar irradiation for 180 minutes and it is found that the highest graphene oxide content attributes to better degradation efficiency of 91.2 %.