PREPARATION OF RGO/TiO2 NANOTUBE COMPOSITE FOR PHOTOELECTROCATALYTIC REDUCTION OF CO2

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes were obtained via an anodic oxidation process. Furthermore, a graphene oxide was formed by means of an improved Hummer's Method, and the corresponding reduced graphene oxide was obtained via reduction under concentrated-alkali conditions. The resulting RGO/TiO2 nanotube composite was synthesized using Anodic Electrochemical Deposition Techniques. Carbon dioxide was photoelectrocatalytically reduced to ethanol with the RGO/TiO2 nanotube composite as the cathode and platinum as the anode. The TiO2 nanotubes were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and RGO was characterized via SEM as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, the composite was characterized using SEM, energy dispersive spectroscopy, as well as X-ray diffraction, and gas chromatography was used to determine the yield of ethanol. The results showed that, through Anodic Electrochemical Deposition Techniques, an RGO/TiO2 nanotube composite can be synthesized by applying a 20 V reaction voltage for 6 h. Using a 2 % aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution as the electrolyte, the carbon dioxide was reduced to ethanol by applying a 1.5 V reaction voltage for 4 h under ultraviolet light. In addition, gas chromatography revealed an ethanol yield of 185.08 nmol/cm(2) cat.