Synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic performance of gold ions implanted TiO2/graphene nanocomposites for efficient dye photodegradation

The suggested work provides a hydrothermal technique for the synthesis of TiO2/graphene nanocomposites with different weight percentages of graphene (0.0 %, 5.0 %, 10.0 %, and 15.0 %). These composites were implanted with gold ions at a fluence of 1 x 1013 ions/cm2 by using a pelletron accelerator. The structural and physical properties were investigated by utilizing XRD, FESEM, FTIR, EDX, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The XRD data verified the existence of TiO2 with a rutile crystal phase. FESEM morphology showed that TiO2 particles had aggregated on graphene layers and had a semi-spherical shape. The functional groups present in the sample were identified using FTIR for TiO2 and TiO2/graphene nanocomposites. The stoichiometric ratios of all the constituent elements and the homogeneous composition were confirmed using EDX analysis. The UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed that the optical bandgap decreased from 3.15 eV to 2.80 eV. Additionally, the photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV light was investigated. The photocatalytic performance was improved with increased graphene content. The evaluated data reveals that the sample with 10 % graphene has the maximum photocatalytic activity and rate constant. These findings suggest that gold-implanted TiO2/graphene nanocomposites favor photocatalytic applications and use in dye-sensitized solar cells.