Abstract
The graphene (G) doping in both titanium oxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) in our earlier studies, has brought about a reduction in photocorrosion, and an increase in the photocatalytic efficiency for remediation of organics under visible light (lambda > 400 nm). The graphene doped photocatalysts have proven to be hard to coat on a surface, due to the strong hydrophobic nature of graphene. So, attempts have been made to use polyaniline (PANI), a conducting polymer, as a binder material by insitu polymerization of aniline over G-TiO2 nanoparticles (G-TiO2 NP) and G-ZnO nanowires (G-ZnO NW). The undoped PANI:G-TiO2 NP and PANI:G-ZnO NW, synthesized are dissolved in a solution of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) was coated over various surfaces and dried at 100 degrees C & characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis spectroscopy (UV-vis) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. Pristine PANI was also synthesized for comparative studies. The photocatalytic, as well as photoelectrochemical catalytic performance of PANI:G-TiO2 NP and PANI:G-ZnO NW, were investigated. The standard methyl orange (pollutant) in water was used for both PANI:G-TiO2 NP and PANI:G-ZnO NW electrodes on conducting substrates. The ease in coating of PANI:G-TiO2 NP and PANI:G-ZnO NW on various substrates, on top of the visible light remediation allows for the use of these materials and process to be used for applications of remediation of organics from water.