Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Dye Wastewater Using ZnO/Reduced Graphene Oxide Hybrids

Abstract

Zinc oxide (ZnO)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybrids have been fabricated by hydrothermal method using zinc nitrate and GO as raw materials. The photocatalytic properties of the prepared ZnO/rGO hybrids have been investigated toward the degradation of methylene blue, methylene orange, and Rhodamine 6 G upon ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation. Experimental results show that the prepared ZnO/rGO hybrids possessed highly stable and repeatable promising photocatalytic abilities. About 99% of the tested dyes were decomposed in the presence of ZnO/rGO hybrids after 30 min. of UV light irradiation. The dramatically enhanced activity can be assigned to the low recombination probability of photogenerated carriers due to efficient electron transfer from ZnO to rGO, which will enhance the generation of reactive oxygen species for dye degradation.