Green synthesis of the reduced graphene oxide-CuI quasi-shell-core nanocomposite: A highly efficient and stable solar-light-induced catalyst for organic dye degradation in water

Surfactant-free, reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-CuI quasi-shell-core nanocomposites were successfully synthesized using ultra-sonication assisted chemical method at room temperature. The morphologies, structures and optical properties of the CuI and CuI-RGO nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Morphological and structural analyses indicated that the CuI-RGO core-shell nanocomposites comprise single-crystalline face-centered cubic phase CuI nanostructures, coated with a thin RGO quasi-shell. Photocatalysis experiments revealed that the as-synthesized CuI-RGO nanocomposites exhibit remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activities and stabilities for photo degradation of Rhodamine-B (RhB) organic dye under simulated solar light irradiation. The photo degradation ability is strongly affected by the concentration of RGO in the nanocomposites; the highest photodegradation rate was obtained at a graphene loading content of 2 mg mL ^-1 nanocomposite. The remarkable photocatalytic performance of the CuI-RGO nanocomposites mainly originates from their unique adsorption and electron-accepting and electron-transporting properties of RGO. The present work provides a novel green synthetic route to producing CuI-RGO nanocomposites without toxic solvents or reducing agents, thereby providing highly efficient and stable solar light-induced RGO-CuI quasi-shell-core nanocomposites for organic dye photo degradation in water.