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One-step solvothermal synthesis of TiO2-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites with enhanced visible light photoreduction of Cr(VI)

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Abstract

Hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), is a mutagenic and carcinogenic heavy metal environmental pollutant. Photoreduction is one of the remediation methods of the hexavalent chromium Cr(VI), which necessitates design of an efficient catalyst for visible light performance. Here, we report a one-step solvothermal synthesis of TiO2-reduced graphene oxide (TiO2-xRGO) composite catalysts using a mild reducing agent, dimethylformamide (DMF). Nanoscale TiO2 particles in the size range of 4–9 nm were formed on the reduced graphene sheets. The formation of the composite catalysts was accompanied by the appearance of a large fluorescence quenching, which indicates an efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. The composites displayed excellent photoreduction of Cr(VI) in the visible light, which was found to be a function of the weight percentage of RGO in the composite. At the optimum composition of TiO2-xRGO, a maximum removal rate of 96% was recorded, which was higher than that of the pristine TiO2, which showed no appreciable catalytic activity under the same condition. The performance degraded with increasing RGO content in the composite, which can be attributed to the higher electron-hole recombination on the RGO surface. The Cr(VI) photoreduction also exhibited a pH dependence. The highest removal rate was observed in the acidic medium.

Photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) on TiO2-RGO nanocomposite

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge access to the experimental facilities at Sophisticated Analytical Instruments Facility (SAIF) and Centre for Research in Nanotechnology & Science (CRNTS), IIT Bombay.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, I.I.T. Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India

    Aasiya Shaikh & Smrutiranjan Parida

  2. Department of Chemistry, C.V. Raman College of Engineering, Bhubaneswar, 752054, India

    Shailendra Prasad Mishra & Priyabrata Mohapatra

Authors
  1. Aasiya Shaikh
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  2. Shailendra Prasad Mishra
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  3. Priyabrata Mohapatra
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  4. Smrutiranjan Parida
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Correspondence to Priyabrata Mohapatra or Smrutiranjan Parida.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding

PM acknowledges financial support from Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, New Delhi, vide the sanction order no. SR/FT/CS-61/2011 dated 16/05/2012 under Fast Track Scheme. SP and AS acknowledge financial support from IRCC seed grant, IIT Bombay.

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Shaikh, A., Mishra, S.P., Mohapatra, P. et al. One-step solvothermal synthesis of TiO2-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites with enhanced visible light photoreduction of Cr(VI). J Nanopart Res 19, 206 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-017-3894-7

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