• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.3586-3590
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• 2013

We present here an efficient and simple method for preparation of highly active heterogeneous ZnO photocatalyst (graphene oxide-zinc oxide: GO-ZnO), specifically by deposition of ZnO nanoparticles onto thiolated GOs. The resultant GO-ZnO sample was characterized by TEM, XRD, Auger, XPS, and Raman measurements, revealing that the size-similar and quasi-spherical ZnO nanoparticles were anchored to the thiolated GO surfaces. The average particle diameter was about 2.5 nm. In the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under ultraviolet (UV) light, GO-ZnO exhibited remarkably enhanced photocatalytic efficiency compared with thiolated GO and pure ZnO particles. This strong photocatalytic performance of GO-ZnO can be attributed to the suppression of electron recombination and the enhancement of mass transportation. The results showed that thiolated GO is the preferable supporting material.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.2660-2664
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• 2014

A simple method of depositing titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) nanoparticles onto graphene oxide (GO) as a catalytic support was devised for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB). Thiol groups were utilized as linkers to secure the $TiO_2$ nanoparticles. The resultant GO-supported $TiO_2$ (GO-$TiO_2$) sample was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements, revealing that the anatase $TiO_2$ nanoparticles had effectively anchored to the GO surface. In the photodegradation of MB, GO-$TiO_2$ exhibited remarkably enhanced photocatalytic efficiency compared with thiolated GO and pure $TiO_2$ nanoparticles. Moreover, after five-cycle photodegradation experiment, no obvious deactivation was observed. The overall results showed that thiolated GO provides a good support substrate and, thereby, enhances the photodegradation effectiveness of the composite photocatalyst.