TY - JOUR
T1 - Corn husk multilayered graphene/ZnO nanocomposite materials with enhanced photocatalytic activity for organic dyes and doxycycline degradation
AU - Sebuso, Dineo P.
AU - Kuvarega, Alex T.
AU - Lefatshe, Kebadiretse
AU - King'ondu, Cecil K.
AU - Numan, Nagla
AU - Maaza, Malik
AU - Muiva, Cosmas M.
N1 - Funding Information:
The financial support provided by Botswana International University of Science and Technology to carry out this research work is gratefully appreciated, and the research facilities provided by the institution and funding through research grant DVC/RDI/161/(R00020 and DVC/RDI/161/(S00096). N. Numan was supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) within the framework of the climapAfrica programme with funds of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022
PY - 2022/7
Y1 - 2022/7
N2 - This study focuses on utilization of biomass waste for fabrication of multilayered graphene (MLG) via cellulose extraction. MLG nanosheets were synthesized from corn husk via alkali-acid treatments, pyrolysis, and activation. Initially, cellulose was extracted followed by carbonization and activation of the carbon material. Multilayered graphene/zinc oxide (MLG/ZnO) nanocomposite was synthesized through ex-situ casting of ZnO and MLG nanopowders. The photocatalytic degradation of congo red (CR) and rhodamine B (RhB) by MLG/ZnO photocatalyst under sunlight irradiation exhibited maximum degradations of 100 and 86%, respectively, while pristine ZnO gave degradations of 85 and 71% for RhB and CR, respectively. The obtained results validated high photocatalytic activity for the optimized MLG/ZnO nanocomposite in RhB and CR degradation under natural sunlight irradiation. The nanocomposite further demonstrates 95% degradation for doxycycline (DOX) under UV light. This work provides an insight into better ways of recycling biomass waste to fabricate valuable materials to solve environmental problems.
AB - This study focuses on utilization of biomass waste for fabrication of multilayered graphene (MLG) via cellulose extraction. MLG nanosheets were synthesized from corn husk via alkali-acid treatments, pyrolysis, and activation. Initially, cellulose was extracted followed by carbonization and activation of the carbon material. Multilayered graphene/zinc oxide (MLG/ZnO) nanocomposite was synthesized through ex-situ casting of ZnO and MLG nanopowders. The photocatalytic degradation of congo red (CR) and rhodamine B (RhB) by MLG/ZnO photocatalyst under sunlight irradiation exhibited maximum degradations of 100 and 86%, respectively, while pristine ZnO gave degradations of 85 and 71% for RhB and CR, respectively. The obtained results validated high photocatalytic activity for the optimized MLG/ZnO nanocomposite in RhB and CR degradation under natural sunlight irradiation. The nanocomposite further demonstrates 95% degradation for doxycycline (DOX) under UV light. This work provides an insight into better ways of recycling biomass waste to fabricate valuable materials to solve environmental problems.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.materresbull.2022.111800
DO - 10.1016/j.materresbull.2022.111800
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85125488353
SN - 0025-5408
VL - 151
JO - Materials Research Bulletin
JF - Materials Research Bulletin
M1 - 111800
ER -