Green and facile synthesis of strontium doped Nb2O5/RGO photocatalyst: Efficacy towards H2 evolution, benzophenone-3 degradation and Cr(VI) reduction

Abstract

A simple co-precipitation method has been developed to synthesize Nb2O5/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite (NbO/RGO). The effect of various % of strontium doping on NbO/RGO was studied. The characterization results for its structure; morphology confirms the decoration of NbO with RGO followed by Sr doping resulting in Sr@N/R-wt% nanocomposite. Various % of Sr has been doped to NbO/RGO and evaluated for photocatalytic H2 evolution, degradation benzophenone-3, and Cr(VI). Enhanced H2 evolution was observed in Sr@N/R-0.75% nanocomposite (1925 μmol) and found three and two times greater than pristine NbO and NbO/RGO, respectively. Sr@N/R-0.75% nanocomposite was able to degrade 94.6 and 87.7% of BP and Cr(VI) respectively.