Enhanced Photocatalytic Behavior of (GO/Cu₂O) Composite with Cu₂O Being Synthesized Through Green Route

Graphene oxide/Cuprous oxide (GO/Cu₂O) composite is a visible light photocatalyst for the degradation of dyes. A simple and efficient approach for preparing GO/Cu₂O composite adopted in this study involves reducing cuprous oxide precursors in the presence of graphene oxide using an aqueous solution of pulp derived from banana fruit. The GO/Cu₂O composite was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Diffused reflectance Ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (DRS UV-Vis), Raman spectroscopy and Field Emission Scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Cu₂O particles were distributed randomly on the graphene oxide sheets due to the template effect of GO. The results showed higher photocatalytic activity for the composite (band gap 2.13 eV), for the degradation of the organic dyes (Methylene blue and Rhodamine-B). The enhanced photocatalytic activity is due to effective charge transfer from GO to Cu₂O, and high specific surface area which improves the effective separation of the generated electron-hole pairs. Our present study is inspired by a facile, low cost, green production of (GO/Cu₂O) composite whose photocatalytic activity can be extended to degradation of all other water-born textile dyes.