Application of titanium dioxide-graphene composite material for photocatalytic degradation of alkylphenols

Titanium dioxide-graphene (TiOG) composite was used for the photodegradation of alkylphenols in wastewater samples. The TiOG composites were prepared via sonochemical and calcination methods. The synthesized composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and fluorescence spectroscopy. The photocatalytic efficiency was evaluated by studying the degradation profiles of alkylphenols using gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). It was found that the synthesized TiOG composites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic efficiencies as compared to pristine TiO The presence of graphene not only provides a large surface area support for the TiOphotocatalyst, but also stabilizes charge separation by trapping electrons transferred from TiO thereby hindering charge transfer and enhancing its photocatalytic efficiency.