Structural, band-gap and photocatalyticproperties ofAg-Ce codoped ZnO/ reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite

In this study, Ag-Ce codoped ZnO/ reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite (Ag-Ce-ZnO/ rGO)were synthesized by simple hydrothermal method [1].The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the photocatalysts were done by XRD, FESEM, TEM, UV-Vis, BET and PL.The characterization results suggest thatthe nanocompositeformed arein well-crystalline wurtzite phase, possess reasonably,fine crystallite size and direct band-gap energy transition states.Photocatalytic degradation of aqueous solution of Rhodamine B dye under Vis light illumination was studied by using prepared nanocomposite.The effect of operating parameters such as amount of catalyst, the initial dye concentration, and initial pH on the rate of dye degradation using prepared samples was investigated.The superior photocatalytic activity of these Ag-Ce-ZnO/ rGO could be attributed to the reduce rate of recombination of the photogenerated electrons and holes as well as its lower band gap energy at photocatalyst interfaces. In addition to the enhanced light absorption from UV to visible region, the high specific surface area of prepared nanocomposites also imparts strong adsorption capacity for pollutants over catalyst surface, resulting in high photoactivity [2].