Preparation, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Activity of LaMnO3 Nanorods-reduced Graphene Oxide Composite

Background: A new type of photocatalyst with a perovskite structure is recently utilized. The one-dimensional nanostructure of photocatalysts holds great charge mobility along the crystal longitudinal dimension and can hence provide the direct pathways of charge carriers. Graphene holds a superior electrical conductivity and high specific surface area. The aims of this paper are to make LaMnO3 nanorods disperse on the graphene surface. The synergistic effect between graphene and LaMnO3 nanorods enhances the photocatalytic performance. Method: LaMnO3 nanorods–graphene is fabricated using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide as template by a simple hydrothermal reaction followed by heat treatment. Results: XRD result indicates that the appropriate calcination temperature for the perovskite structure formation is 650°C. Electron microscopy reveals the LaMnO3 nanorods exhibit a good dispersion behavior on the surface of graphene and the specific surface area of LaMnO3 nanorods-graphene is higher than that of LaMnO3 nanorods. The activities of LaMnO3 nanorods–graphene and TiO2 are compared for degradation of Direct Green BE, the decolorizing rates are 99.93% and 79.45%, respectively. Conclusion: The photocatalytic results for Direct Green BE degradation showed that LaMnO3 nanorods– reduced graphene oxide exhibit a superior photocatalytic performance than that of LaMnO3 nanorods and TiO2 powders. The one-dimensional nanorod structure of LaMnO3 can provide a direct pathway for electronic transmission, and the increased aspect ratio is favorable for reducing the recombination probability of the electron and hole. Meanwhile, the photoelectron transport along the graphene sheets can promote the separation of the e−–h+ pairs.