A Facile Chemical Solution Route to Synthesize ZnO/Graphene Composite and the Improved Photocatalytic Property

Abstract

ZnO/graphene composite was synthesized through a facile and economical chemical solution method at moderate temperature of 90 °C. The as-synthesized composite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectrum. Results indicated that in the growth process graphene oxide was reduced to graphene, in which ZnO was embedded in the form of nanoparticles. As an application, the photocatalytic performance of the composite was investigated using the methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation. The photocatalytic experiment showed that the as-synthesized ZnO/graphene composite exhibited improved photocatalytic property in comparison with that of the pure ZnO powder.