Abstract
A high bandgap of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and a very high electron-hole recombination rate hindered its photocatalytic activity under a wide range of irradiation. Therefore, using nanoconjugate boosted the lifetime of the photogenerated charge carriers by donating an electron-accepting structure. The optimized weight of graphene oxide (GO) can enhance photocatalytic capabilities. Herein, composites of GO/TiO2 (GO 4 and 8wt. %) were produced by hydrothermal technique followed by calcination at 400 degrees C. As a function of the graphene oxide (GO) concentration, these composites demonstrate photocatalytic solid decomposition of methylene blue (MB) dye under solar irradiation. The samples were analyzed using XRD, SEM, TEM, UV-Vis spectra, FTIR, and XPS. Operating TiO2/GO(8wt.%) treated at 400 degrees C as a photocatalyst significantly enhanced the photocatalytic degradation of dyes compared to pure TiO2 and/or other prepared samples, resulting in complete degradation of MB 97.8% within 11 min. The GO flakes' higher adsorption/photodegradation capacity and electron transfer capability are attributed to their higher specific surface area (62 m(2)/g) for this significant improvement in photocatalytic degradation.