Interest has grown in the use of titanium dioxide- graphene composites to improve the photocatalytic efficiency. In this work, titanium dioxide- reduced graphene oxide (TiO2-RGO) composites were synthesised by the photocatalytic reduction of graphene oxide (GO) on the TiO2 (Evonik P25) under UV irradiation in the presence of methanol as a hole savenger. The composite materials were characterised using UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. The Raman and XPS analysis provided evidence that the GO was converted to RGO by the photocatalytic reduction. The TiO2-RGO composites were compared to TiO2 alone for the degradation of chemical pollutants and the disinfection of water contaminated with E. coli and Fusarium spores under real sunlight. Very rapid water disinfection (10 min or less) was observed with both E. coli and Fusariumspores. The mechanism of activity will be discussed.

Rapid solar photocatalytic disinfection of water using graphene-titania composites

245th National Meeting (2013)

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