The
addition of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) into semiconducting
metal oxide nanomaterials is a trending material that has been used
in a wide range of applications to improve the efficiency of metal
oxides. In this present work, we synthesize rGO/WO3 nanohybrids
via a simple one-step hydrothermal route. During the hydrothermal
treatment, the subsequent in situ reduction of GO into rGO occurred
in Millipore water without using any surfactant or reducing agents.
A high-resolution transmission electron microscope investigated the
morphology of the prepared samples. The phase formation was confirmed
by X-ray diffraction pattern and Raman spectroscopy. To assess the
photocatalytic activity, prepared samples were used to suppress methylene
blue (MB) dye under sunlight irradiation. From the results, the WR3
(i.e., WO3 + 30 mg GO) shows a higher catalytic activity
for MB degradation. The constant rate values of WR3 (i.e., WO3 + 30 mg GO) also increased to ∼6.5 times compared
to WO3. The enhanced catalytic activity of the prepared
samples is due to the synergistic effect induced electron–hole
recombination delay in the nanocomposites, which is confirmed from
the photoluminescence spectroscopy. To probe the active species involved
in photocatalysis, in situ scavenger studies were done. A two-route
photocatalytic mechanism was proposed to explain the photocatalytic
reaction.