Bismuth Vanadate Encapsulated with Reduced Graphene Oxide: A Nanocomposite for Optimized Photocatalytic Hydrogen Peroxide Generation

The photocatalytic H 2 O 2 production is a sustainable and eco-friendly process. Bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4 or BVO) is a promising photocatalyst with a low band gap energy. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is known for promoting the transport of charges and preventing the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. This study proposes a synthesis method based on an electrostatic self-assembly approach for functionalizing BVO with GO for photocatalytic H 2 O 2 generation. Different amounts of GO loading on BVO have been taken to assess and optimize the quality of x rGO–BVO (where x = 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 wt %) composites for effective H 2 O 2 generation. H 2 O 2 shows stability under acidic conditions; hence, the effectivity of the x rGO–BVO was tested using acids with different strengths. 1rGO–BVO exhibited efficient H 2 O 2 generation in the presence of oxalic acid, promoting two-electron O 2 reduction reaction with a good cyclic stability. A photocatalytic flow reactor study has also been presented to assess the feasibility of continuous H 2 O 2 generation.