Biologically reduced graphene oxide as a green and easily available photocatalyst for degradation of organic dyes

Punniyakotti Parthipan; Liang Cheng; Aruliah Rajasekar; Muthusamy Govarthanan; Angaiah Subramania

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2021.110983

Biologically reduced graphene oxide as a green and easily available photocatalyst for degradation of organic dyes

Environ Res. 2021 May:196:110983. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110983. Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Authors

Punniyakotti Parthipan¹, Liang Cheng², Aruliah Rajasekar³, Muthusamy Govarthanan⁴, Angaiah Subramania⁵

Affiliations

¹ Electro-Materials Research Laboratory, Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India.
² School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, China.
³ Environmental Molecular Microbiology Research Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore, 632115, India.
⁴ Department of Environmental Engineering, Kyungpook National University, 80 Daehak-ro, Buk-gu, Daegu, 41566, South Korea. Electronic address: gova.muthu@gmail.com.
⁵ Electro-Materials Research Laboratory, Centre for Nanoscience and Technology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India. Electronic address: a.subramania@gmail.com.

PMID: 33705769
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110983

Abstract

The disposal of untreated textile industrial wastewater having unmanageable pollutants is a global issue. Eco-friendly remediation technology is needed for the removal of environmental contaminants. In this study, a simple hydrothermal method is adapted to synthesis reduced graphene oxide (PErGO) using Phyllanthus emblica fruits extract and used as a photocatalyst for the degradation of synthetic toxic dyes. The physicochemical properties of green synthesized PErGO are confirmed using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction. The I_D/I_G ratio is found as 1.02 for GO which is improved to 1.15 for PErGO, which confirms the existence of unrepaired defects after the elimination of negatively charged O₂ moieties from the surface of GO. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis show well-exploited PErGO morphology. The photocatalytic removal of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dyes is confirmed using UV-vis spectrophotometer. PErGO shows about 92% of MO and 91% of MB degradation within 90 min of sunlight exposure while carried out as a mixed dye degradation. The sustainability of this catalyst is confirmed by testing it for five subsequent degradation cycles and noticed a stable and significant degradation activity. Outcomes from this study suggest that eco-friendly PErGO can be used as an alternate sustainable material to treat a large volume of wastewater from various dye industries.

Keywords: Dye degradation; Green synthesis; Photocatalytic activity; Phyllanthus emblica, reduced graphene oxide.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Catalysis
Coloring Agents
Graphite*
Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared

Substances

Coloring Agents
graphene oxide
Graphite