Exploring the Synergistic Effects of Graphene Oxide in FeVO4 Composites: Structural, Optical, Magnetic, and Photocatalytic Insights
摘要
In this study, FeVO4 nanoparticles (FVO NPs) and FeVO4/graphene oxide (GO) composites with varying GO contents (0 wt% to 15 wt%) were synthesized via a hydrothermal route combined with bath sonication. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the formation of well-defined peaks corresponding to the orthorhombic phase of pure FeVO4 NPs. Raman spectra confirmed the successful incorporation of GO and provided insights into the vibrational modes associated with the FeVO4 NPs and FeVO4/GO composites. The surface area was increased from 1.45 m2/g for FeVO4 NPs to 3.21 m2/g for FeVO4/15 wt%GO composite, indicating enhanced material accessibility for photocatalytic reactions. The energy bandgap was found to reduce from 2.93 eV for pure FeVO4 to 2.43 eV for FeVO4/15 wt%GO. The photocatalytic performance of the composites was estimated by their ability to degrade methylene blue under visible light, showing significant enhancement with the addition of GO. The FeVO4/15 wt%GO composite exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, attributed to improved charge separation and an increased surface area provided by GO. Magnetic analysis showed a decrease in saturation magnetization (MS) from 0.2688 emu/g for FeVO4 to 0.0223 emu/g for FeVO4/15 wt% GO, while coercivity (HC) increased from 18.94 Oe to 102.94 Oe. The squareness ratio (SQ) improved significantly, from 0.0669 in FeVO4 to 0.4932 in FeVO4/15 wt% GO. These findings suggest that an optimal GO concentration is vital for improving the magnetic performance of FeVO4-based composites, making them appropriate candidates for applications in magnetic and photocatalytic technologies.