Demonstration of enhanced the photocatalytic effect with PtSe2 and TiO2 treated large area graphene obtained by CVD method

Here, we report our method on enhancing the photocatalytic effect with PtSe2 and TiO2 treated large area graphene (LAG). The LAG was growth on copper foil at a low temperature (500 degrees C) under atmospheric pressure by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. A facile, fast ultrasonic method was then used to successfully synthesize PtSe2-LAG/TiO2 nanocomposites. The composites that were obtained were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopic analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) analyses were also performed, and the catalytic behavior was investigated by the decomposition of methylene blue (MB). The as-prepared LAG with a Raman D band was obtained, and graphene layers can be clearly seen in High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) images. The degradation performance of the MB solution was determined via UV-vis spectrophotometry. This improved photocatalytic activity is a result of the positive synergetic effect between PtSe2 and LAG in the heterogeneous photocatalyst. In this study, the LAG behaves as an electron transfer agent, contributor, collector, and source of active adsorption sites. The optical properties were also observed to be affected by the different weight ratios of the LAG in the composites by observing their respective band gaps from diffuse reflectance spectra. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.