Construction of Ag-CeVO₄/Graphene nanocomposite for the photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A

In this work, the nanocomposites comprising Ag-CeVO₄/Graphene (Ag: 2 %, 4 % and 8 %) were prepared using the hydrothermal method and applied for the photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A. The nanocomposites were thoroughly characterized using XRD, TEM, SEM-EDX, XPS, FTIR, BET, and DR-UV-Vis techniques. TEM images indicated the sheet like structure with average diameter of 50–100 nm, no big difference in size and morphology was observed among the different prepared nanocomposites. The band gap values were observed in the range 1.26 eV–1.46 eV. The photocatalytic performance was evaluated, and the degradation mechanism was examined in detail. It was perceived that 8 % Ag-CeVO₄/Graphene nanocomposite demonstrated high photocatalytic activity as compared to CeVO₄/Graphene, 2 %, and 4 % Ag-CeVO₄/Graphene nanocomposites. These findings suggest that the incorporation of silver enhances the photocatalytic properties of CeVO₄/Graphene nanocomposites. Moreover, to understand the mechanism, scavenger experiments were conducted, using the same experimental conditions. It was observed that photogenerated holes (h⁺), and superoxide radicals (^.O₂⁻) are the main contributors to the photocatalytic degradation of Bisphenol A. The superior photocatalytic performance of 8 % Ag-CeVO₄/Graphene nanocomposite highlights its potential as efficient material for environmental remediation applications.