Sustainable synthesis of rGO nanosheets for effective photocatalytic remediation of Orange ME2RL dye and improved seed germination
摘要
Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets (NSs) were synthesized using Asparagus officinalis (shatavari) leaves plant extract. Plant extract containing functional groups involvement in reduction of graphene oxide identified using functional group detection technique Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The pure crystal structure of rGO NSs was confirmed using X- ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed ultrathin graphene nanosheets morphology having thickness less than 7.5 nm. UV-Visible spectra of rGO shows absorption peak mainly at 279 nm. The elemental composition of rGO was studied by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) confirms phytochemical reduction graphene oxide (GO). Specific surface area rGO about 134.98 m2/g was measured by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) technique. The rGO NSs showed 98.70% degradation of Orange ME2RL diazo dye within 60 min. Bioremediation of dye confirmed with the help of UV-Visible spectroscopy, thin layer chromatography (TLC), FTIR, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LCMS). Reduced toxicity of the degraded products was observed by the phytotoxicity experiment.