One-step nano-engineering of dispersed Ag–ZnO nanoparticles' hybrid in reduced graphene oxide matrix and its superior photocatalytic property

Abstract

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been engineered with a hybrid of dispersed Ag and ZnO nanoparticles by a one-step hydrothermal technique using graphene oxide, AgNO₃ and Zn(CH₃COO)₂ precursors without adding any external toxic reagent. Formation of the Ag–ZnO–rGO hybrid is confirmed from X-ray diffractometry, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The hybrid shows an enhanced and faster ultraviolet photocatalytic property i.e. 97.2% degradation of methyl orange in 90 minutes as compared to the values of 56%, 84% and 60% by bare ZnO, Ag–ZnO and ZnO–rGO, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic property is due to an efficient charge transfer process from ZnO to both Ag and rGO. This result would be beneficial for synthesizing efficient ZnO-based ternary photocatalysts with different combinations of metal and graphene, and understanding their photocatalytic performance in photoreaction processes.