Weiwei Yu

Enhanced sunlight-driven photocatalytic property of Mg-doped ZnO nanocomposites with three-dimensional graphene oxide/MoS2 nanosheet composites

Graphene oxide (GO) has been the focus of attention as it can enhance the photocatalytic activity of semiconductors due to its large specific surface area and remarkable optical and electronic properties. However, the enhancing effect is not ideal because of its easy self-agglomeration and low electronic conductivity. To improve the enhancing effect of GO for ZnO, three-dimensional GO/MoS2 composite carriers (3D GOM) were prepared by electrostatic interactions and then, Mg-doped ZnO nanoparticles (MZ) were supported on the surface of 3D GOM by utilizing the layer-by-layer assembly method. Compared with GO/Mg-ZnO composite (GOMZ), the resultant three-dimensional GO/MoS2/Mg-ZnO composite (GOMMZ) exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance due to the effective synergistic effect between GO and MoS2 sheet, and its degradation rate was nearly 100% within 120 min of exposure to visible light; this degradation rate was nearly 8 times higher than that of the GOMZ composite. Moreover, the introduction of the MoS2 sheet intensified the photocurrent density of the GOMZ composite and endowed it with optical memory ability.

Graphene Oxide/ZnO-Bi2O3 Nanoplate Photocatalysis with Strong Adsorption Capacity and High Efficient under Simulated Solar Light

Graphene/ZnO-Bi2O3 nanoplates (GZB) were prepared by means of the low temperature hydrothermal method, and their photocatalytic activity for degradating rhodamine B (RhB) was studied. Experimental results show that the ZnO-Bi2O3 nanoparticles were supported on graphene sheet under the assist of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Furthermore, the resultant GZB nanoplates exhibited very strong adsorption capacity and high photocatalytic activity, in which the first absorbed ability comes up to about 74.62% within 30 min. Moreover, 90% RhB in solution can be degraded within 100 min under visible light after the sample reach the maximum adsorption.