The photo-electrochemical studies of Eu3+ doped yttrium orthovanadate-zinc-oxide-reduced graphene oxide nanohybrid

Abstract

A new class of nanostructured photo-electrocatalyst Eu3+ doped yttrium orthovanadate-zinc oxide-reduced graphene oxide (YVO4:Eu3+-ZnO-RGO) nanohybrid was developed by a simple electrostatic self-assembly at room temperature, using ZnO, YVO4:Eu3+ and RGO as building blocks. Interaction among YVO4:Eu3+, ZnO and RGO is indicated by variation in hydrodynamic diameter (H-D) and zeta potentials of the products as compared to their individual components, thus suggesting that YVO4:Eu3+-ZnO-RGO is a nanohybrid and not a physical mixture. Electrochemical response of this nanohybrid towards the redox couple of Fe(CN)(6)(3-/4-) was investigated before and after UV irradiation. Apart from quenching of the green emission of ZnO in photoluminescence spectrum, which serves as a probe to monitor the interfacial electron transfer from excited ZnO to RGO, degradation in electrochemical redox process provides an additional path to monitor interfacial electron transfer. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.