TY - JOUR
T1 - Semiconductor/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites derived from photocatalytic reactions
AU - Ng, Yun Hau
AU - Iwase, Akihide
AU - Bell, Nicholas J.
AU - Kudo, Akihiko
AU - Amal, Rose
PY - 2011/4/30
Y1 - 2011/4/30
N2 - Graphene-based semiconductors nanocomposites were synthesized via a single-step photocatalytic reduction process. UV active titanium dioxide (TiO2) and visible light driven photocatalysts (i.e. tungsten oxide (WO3) and bismuth vanadates (BiVO4)) with different conduction band energy levels were found efficient in transferring photogenerated electrons into graphene oxide (GO) thus reducing it to reduced graphene oxide (RGO). Simultaneously, nanocomposites of these particulate semiconductor and RGO sheet were obtained. X-ray photoelectron spectra revealed the 52-63% decrease in oxygen-containing carbon (hydroxyl and epoxy groups) of GO after illumination, indicating partial reduction of GO by excited photocatalysts. When made into thin films, photocurrent generation of these nanocomposites was enhanced by 160, 190 and 800%, respectively, for WO3, TiO2 and BiVO4 as 5 wt% RGO was incorporated. These results demonstrate for the first time that a range of photocatalysts, not just TiO2, can be used to reduce and incorporate GO into nanocomposites that have higher photoelectrocatalytic efficiencies than their parent materials.
AB - Graphene-based semiconductors nanocomposites were synthesized via a single-step photocatalytic reduction process. UV active titanium dioxide (TiO2) and visible light driven photocatalysts (i.e. tungsten oxide (WO3) and bismuth vanadates (BiVO4)) with different conduction band energy levels were found efficient in transferring photogenerated electrons into graphene oxide (GO) thus reducing it to reduced graphene oxide (RGO). Simultaneously, nanocomposites of these particulate semiconductor and RGO sheet were obtained. X-ray photoelectron spectra revealed the 52-63% decrease in oxygen-containing carbon (hydroxyl and epoxy groups) of GO after illumination, indicating partial reduction of GO by excited photocatalysts. When made into thin films, photocurrent generation of these nanocomposites was enhanced by 160, 190 and 800%, respectively, for WO3, TiO2 and BiVO4 as 5 wt% RGO was incorporated. These results demonstrate for the first time that a range of photocatalysts, not just TiO2, can be used to reduce and incorporate GO into nanocomposites that have higher photoelectrocatalytic efficiencies than their parent materials.
KW - Photocatalysis
KW - Photoelectrochemical property
KW - Reduced graphene oxide
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79955059410&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79955059410&origin=recordpage
U2 - 10.1016/j.cattod.2010.10.090
DO - 10.1016/j.cattod.2010.10.090
M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal
SN - 0920-5861
VL - 164
SP - 353
EP - 357
JO - Catalysis Today
JF - Catalysis Today
IS - 1
ER -