Fabrication of raspberry-shaped reduced graphene oxide labelled Fe/CeO2 ternary heterojunction with an enhanced photocatalytic performance

摘要： Herein, we report a raspberry-shaped reduced graphene oxide labelled Fe-CeO2 ternary photocatalyst synthesized via simple hydrothermal method. In order to evaluate structural, morphological, elemental composition and optical properties, resultant photocatalysts were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX), photoluminescence (PL) and UV–visible spectroscopy respectively. The photocatalytic efficiency of as-prepared ternary catalyst was investigated by the degradation of congo red dye (CR) in aqueous medium under UV light. The ternary Fe-CeO2/RGO nanocomposite show outstanding photocatalytic degradation performance. The co-ordination and synergistic effect between reduced graphene oxide sheets and redox system of the cerium (Ce4+/ Ce3+) along with iron (Fe3+/ Fe2+) are accountable for the excellent photocatalytic performance of Fe-CeO2/RGO nanocomposite. The reduced graphene oxide sheets and redox systems acts as a trapping sites for photogenerated electrons and thereby significantly reduced the recombination of charge carriers. Moreover, a good reusability and stability suggest that ternary material has a great ability in removal of organic pollutants. Further, this report may offer a new strategy to fabricate and design a material for energy and environmental remediation.