The characterization of TiO2-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites and their performance in electrochemical determination for removing heavy metals ions of cadmium(II), lead(II) and copper(II)

In this paper, we have studied various mass ratios of titanium dioxide/reduced graphene oxide (TiO2/rGO) nanocomposites modified glassy carbon electrode for the electrochemical detection of Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II). The nanocomposite properties were discussed by FESEM, TEM, XRD, FT-IR, BET and UV-Vis results. UV-Vis spectra for absorption edge of TiO2/rGO showed a slight red-shift and a further narrowed band gap compared to pure TiO2. The simultaneous detection of heavy metal ions such as Pb2+ and Cu2+ carried out using cyclic voltammetry and square wave anodic stripping voltammetry methods. This work showed that the TiO2/rGO (1:1) has high potential as the effective adsorbent of Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions compared to a TiO2 electrode, because of the TiO2/rGO (1:1) inherited both features of the GO and TiO2. Improved electrochemical performance can be attributed to the presence of graphene oxide to enhance electrochemical properties.