Facile preparation of new nanohybrids for enhancing photocatalytic activity toward removal of organic dyes under visible light irradiation

In the present investigation, we have designed highly active titanium dioxide nanohybrids modified by various additives such as niobium oxide (Nb2O5), tin (IV) oxide (SnO2), reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and ceramic (SiO2/Fe3O4/ZrO2) by combining the hydrothermal and sol-gel methods. The prepared samples i.e. TiO2/Nb2O5/SnO2/RGO, TiO2/Ceramic/SnO2/RGO, TiO2/Nb2O5/SnO2 and TiO2/Ceramic/SnO2 were identified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (including high-resolution imaging-HRTEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Moreover, the photocatalytic performances of the newly designed nanohybrids were studied toward the photodegradation of crystal violet (CV) and methyl orange (MO) dyes under visible light illumination and the results were compared with those of previously reported TiO2/Nb2O5, TiO2/Ceramic and TiO2 nanoparticles. In this regard, the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) obeys the photodegradation. The TiO2/Nb2O5/SnO2/RGO sample displays a photocatalytic performance significantly larger than those of the other samples and also effectively decreases the recombination rate of electrons and holes. [Display omitted] •The TiO2/Nb2O5/SnO2/RGO, TiO2/Ceramic/SnO2/RGO, TiO2/Nb2O5/SnO2 and TiO2/Ceramic/SnO2 nanocomposites were synthesized.•Photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes was estimated under visible light.•TiO2/Nb2O5/SnO2/RGO exhibits remarkable photocatalytic activity and reusability.