Enhanced photocatalytic H2-production and photocatalytic degradation activity of cadmium oxide-graphene nanocomposite grown on mesoporous silica under visible light irradiation

Various combinations of mesoporous silica and cadmium oxide-graphene have been prepared using a self-assembly method under catering of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the surfactant template at ambient conditions. The structural and optical properties of the obtained nanocomposites were investigated by many different techniques. The results of photocatalytic measurements revealed that almost 100% of MB organic dye was removed with the presence of SiO2/CdO-graphene composite under visible light irradiation. Moreover, the initial pH also plays an important role in the photodegradation processes. On the other hand, this work opens a way to enhance the photocatalytic activity of gallic acid at ambient condition without any further different oxidation processes. From the evolutionary aspect, SiO2/CdO-graphene composite revealed better H-2 generation than that of binary photocatalyst (CdO-graphene nanocomposite). The results of characterization and photodegradation suggest that SiO2/CdO-graphene material constitutes a new photocatalyst for the degradation of organic contaminants, as well as the development of an efficient hetero-system for hydrogen production.