Graphene oxide supported La/Co/Ni trimetallic nano-scale systems for photocatalytic remediation of 2-chlorophenol

Fabrication of highly active photocatalysts that can be utilized for water detoxification is the need of time. In present work, we have synthesized La/Co/Ni TNPs and graphene oxide (GO) supported La/Co/Ni trimetallic nanocomposite (La/Co/Ni@GO TNC) using simple microwave method. The potential application of TNPs and TNC has been explored for photodegradation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) under natural sunlight irradiations. Among the two, La/Co/Ni@GO TNC (71% in 300 min) exhibited better photocatalytic ability as compared to La/Co/Ni TNPs (57% in 300 min). The superior performance of La/Co/Ni@GO TNC is credited to the efficient charge transfer and reduced electron-hole recombination ability. The band structure analysis, scavenging experiments and terephthalic acid studies have made it possible to finalise a probable degradation mechanism for 2-CP.