Abstract
Numerous treatment methods such as biological digestion, chemical oxidation, and coagulation have been used to treat organic micropollutants. However, such wastewater treatment methods can be either inefficient, expensive, or environmentally unsound. Here, we embedded TiO(2) nanoparticles in laser-induced graphene (LIG) and obtained a highly efficient photocatalyst composite with pollutant adsorption properties. TiO(2) was added to LIG and lased to form a mixture of rutile and anatase TiO(2) with a decreased band gap (2.90 ± 0.06 eV). The LIG/TiO(2) composite adsorption and photodegradation properties were tested in solutions of a model pollutant, methyl orange (MO), and compared to the individual and mixed components. The adsorption capacity of the LIG/TiO(2) composite was 92 mg/g using 80 mg/L MO, and together the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation resulted in 92.8% MO removal in 10 min. Adsorption enhanced photodegradation, and a synergy factor of 2.57 was seen. Understanding how LIG can modify metal oxide catalysts and how adsorption can enhance photocatalysis might lead to more effective pollutant removal and offer alternative treatment methods for polluted water.