TiO2-Graphene Nanocomposites for Effective Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine-B Dye

The hazardous Rhodamine-B dye is photocatalytically degraded by anatase TiO2 and its graphene nanocomposites. These are prepared by a simple electrochemical anodic dissolution of pure titanium in graphene oxide solution, here particle size is tuned by current variation. The structural, morphological and optical properties of these composites are studied by X-ray diffraction, UV-visible spectroscopy, field emission SEM, high resolution TEM and XPS. The photocatalytic activity of Rhodamine-B in water is studied with visible and UV light irradiation. A significant degradation is observed with 1wt% of reduced graphene oxide with TiO2 nanoparticles. The stability and reproducibility are tested by recycling the catalyst for more than five times. The results are interpreted in terms of energy band alignment of TiO2-graphene interface with respect to energy levels of Rhodamine-B molecule through water redox potentials. The present work demonstrates that these composites are novel and cost effective in photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine-B and hence are potential materials for environmental remedy.