Modification of Graphene as an Effective Photo-Driven Catalyst for Photo-Assisted Degradation of Chlorpyrifos

Currently, the consumption of agrochemicals has increased significantly over the last few years. The use of agrochemicals in agriculture for the production of crops has become very demanding to suffice the increased food demand. The accumulation of agrochemicals in water bodies is a major source of water pollution. Scientists have attempted several approaches for the treatment of these pesticides which are present in water and also have adverse effects on human and aquatic fauna. Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were synthesized by modified Hummer’s method and chemical reduction method, respectively. The synthesized materials were characterized by XRD, RAMAN, and FT-IR analysis. The present study shows the potential of graphene, and its derivatives have been explored as an effective catalyst for the degradation of chlorpyrifos. Reduced graphene oxide shows the highest 85% removal with new species as compared to pristine graphene, and graphene oxide shows 83% and 53% removal, respectively. The study points toward the role of chemical functionality as an important parameter in deciding photocatalytic activity.