A. Rodríguez-Álvarez, S. Silva-Martínez, J. Arcibar–Orozco, E. Ramírez-Morales, C. Pineda-Arellano
Posgrado Interinstitucional de Ciencia y Tecnología SECIHTI-Centro de Investigaciones en Óptica, A. C., 20200 Aguascalientes, México,
Mexico
Keywords: TiO 2 /rGO, Photocatalysis, Nanotubes/Nanorings, Two-pass anodizing, Characterization
Summary:
The aim of this work is to study the potential photocatalytic degradation of Congo red dye by TiO2 nanotubes/nanorings (NT/NR) materials decorated with graphene oxide (GO) or reduced graphene oxide (rGO). TiO2 NT/NR were synthesized by two-step anodization. Graphene oxide was synthesized by improved Hummers method, while GO incorporation was performed by impregnation and reduction with sodium borohydride. Structural characterization techniques such as SEM and XRD were used, which confirmed the morphology of NT/NR with lengths between 1 μm and 5 μm, and the anatase phase of TiO2, in addition to the presence of GO. The photocatalytic activity of these materials was evaluated by monitoring the degradation of Congo red dye through absorbance, Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). The results showed a significant improvement in the efficiency of contaminant degradation when the TiO2 NT/NR were decorated with GO, with a greater reduction in absorbance, TOC and COD compared to the materials without GO. This improvement is attributed to the optimization of electron mobility and the higher visible light absorption capacity provided by rGO. In conclusion, the GO-decorated TiO2 NT/NR proved to be effective in the degradation of Congo red, suggesting their potential as photocatalysts for the remediation of contaminants in wastewater.