Facile gamma radiolytic methodology for TiO2-rGO synthesis: effect on photo-catalytic H-2 evolution

TitleFacile gamma radiolytic methodology for TiO2-rGO synthesis: effect on photo-catalytic H-2 evolution
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2015
AuthorsGupta, B, Melvin, AA, Matthews, T, Dhara, S, Dash, S, Tyagi, AK
JournalInternational Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Volume40
Issue17
Pagination5815-5823
Date PublishedMAY
ISSN0360-3199
Keywordsgamma-radiolysis, H-2 production, Photocatalysis, Reduced graphene oxide, TiO2
Abstract

TiO2 (P25) decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is synthesized by gamma-radiolytic technique using water-ethanol solvent medium. Visible light absorpdon was confirmed by UV-Visible spectroscopy. Photoluminescence (PL) study revealed a decline in electron-hole recombination rate signalled by a sharp fall in luminescence of TiO2. Under such scenario, electron transfer from TiO2 conduction band to the conjugated sheet becomes a preferred pathway in the presence of rGO, which is further confirmed by photocurrent measurement. TiO2 -rGO composite with 1 wt. % rGO was found to be the best composition in terms of visible light absorption, while retaining TiO2 crystallinity. Transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopic studies confirmed the coating of rGO sheet with TiO2 nanoparticles. TiO2 -rGO was found to show about 150 times higher photocatalytic H-2 generation under 250 W UV-Visible light irradiation than pristine TiO2. In addition to this, TiO2 -rGO composite shows hydrogen production yield of 35 mu mol/h.g under visible light (lambda = 400 nm) irradiation. Thus gamma-radiolysis can be considered to be a viable technique, which helps in synthesizing photocatalytically active nanocomposite with high H-2 evolution rate. In the light of these interesting aspects, a detail investigation is carried out to study the effect of rGO concentration and illumination time on photocatalytic yield. Copyright (C) 2015, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOI10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.02.102
Type of Journal (Indian or Foreign)

Foreign

Impact Factor (IF)3.205
Divison category: 
Catalysis and Inorganic Chemistry