Fine cutting edge shaped Bi2O3rods/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composite for supercapacitor and visible-light photocatalytic applications

Bi2O3 rods/RGO composite has been synthesized by a simple precipitation and calcination method. The crystailnity, structural, and morphological features were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) techniques. The supercapacitor behavior was studied using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge discharge and impedance analysis, respectively. The Bi2O3 rods/RGO nanocomposite exhibits a maximum specific capacitance of 1041 F g(-1.) at a current density of 2 A g(-1). The photocatalytic activity of Bi2O3 rods/RGO composite was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under visible-light irradiation. The enhancement of photocatalytic properties of Bi2O3 rods/RGO composite attributed to the synergistic effect between Bi2O3 rods and graphene sheets which effectively prevents recombination of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs in Bi2O3 rods. The present study provides a new approach in improving the performance of Bi2O3 rods/RGO composite in energy and environmental applications. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.