Impact of graphene nanosheets @Flexible polyamide-based nanocomposites for photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye
摘要
Graphene-based polymer composites have emerged as a promising material due to their exceptional properties and diverse applications. This study introduces a novel method to fabricate these composites by integrating graphene (S1) materials with flexible polyamide (S2) microspheres. Polyamide microspheres were synthesized using reaction-induced phase separation, followed by the adsorption of few-layer graphene onto their surface. This approach resulted in a three-dimensional network of graphene sheets within the polyamide matrix, enhancing the overall composite performance. The electrical and mechanical characterization resulted in a significant enhancement of the attributes of flexible polyamide (S2) composites, surpassing those of conventional graphene/polymer composites. Furthermore, the methodology presented in this study shows efficacy in the preparation of graphene/polymer composites, appropriate for industrial manufacturing, and may be adapted for various composites incorporating nanofillers. The prepared graphene/flexible polyamide (S3) nanocomposite was used for the degradation of hazardous dye from the industrial or aqueous solutions. The optical band gap energies of the S1, S2, and S3 composites, determined using the Tauc plot method, were 3.1, 2.95, and notably reduced to 2.61 eV in S3, indicating a significant narrowing of the band gap. The S3 sample demonstrated a high degradation efficiency of 87% within the evaluated timeframe. The degradation/reduction of dye in all the samples was examined using absorption spectroscopy. According to the findings of the experiment, the photocatalytic activity of S3 increased, which can be attributed to a decrease in the rate of electron-hole pair recombination. Therefore, S3 is proposed as a viable choice for dye degradation application.