Synthesis characterization and application studies of reduced graphene oxide titania nanocomposites

Abstract

Titania based photocatalysts has always been an active topic of newlineresearch in the fields of environmental protection, organic synthesis, newlinematerial science and energy production because of its super performance, newlineenvironmentally benign nature, stability and nontoxicity. Even though no newlineother material can beat its performance in many of its application areas it is newlinephotocatalytically active in the UV region of electromagnetic spectrum and newlinetherefore, currently many authors are concentrated on the modification of newlinevarious structural and chemical properties of TiO2 mainly to shift the light newlineresponse into the visible region, thus making the extended utilization of newlinesolar spectrum. Also improving other properties such as enhancement of newlinephotoexcited electron-hole life time and their effective separation to the newlineredox reaction sites have also gained important attention. newlineThe unique 2D crystalline carbon nanostructure named graphene newlinehas emerged as a rapidly rising star on the horizon of materials science newlineand modern physics since its first discovery by using the Scotch tape newlinemethod by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov in 2004 at the newlineUniversity of Manchester. Graphene has attracted great scientific newlineattention in fundamental research and broad applications. As compared newlinewith the other carbon structures, such as graphite and carbon nanotubes, newlinegraphene exhibits several exceptional structural and electronic properties newlinesuch as ultra-high carrier mobility, high optical transmittance, high newlinethermal and electrical conductivity, flexibility, high chemical/physical newlinestability, high surface area and bio compatibility. All of these properties newlinehave contributed to its versatility in various applications. So manypublications are being released nowadays, based on the studies of newlineapplication of graphene in the fields of catalysis, photocatalysis and newlineenergy production. newlineThe current research topic involves the modification of the newlineproperties of TiO2 by the incorporation of graphene into it.