Eco-Friendly In Situ Fabrication of Reduced Graphene Oxide Gold Nanocomposites for Catalysis and Dye Degradation

Abstract

The invention represents a development of robust eco-friendly method use for water waste management and polluted water. The inadvertent role of peanut peels extract helps to simultaneously convert and form reduced graphene oxide gold nanocomposite (rGO@AuNCs) in single step. Fabricated nanocomposite was evaluated for its catalytic performance using reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol as well as elimination of methylene blue (MB) and malachite green (MG) dyes from water. Graphene oxide (GO) and rGO@AuNCs, were synthesized using simplified approaches and preliminary characterization was done using UV–Vis spectrophotometer and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Least concentration of rGO@AuNCs is required to eliminate MB and MG around 77 and 93%, respectively. Furthermore, surface morphology and elemental analysis of rGO@AuNCs confirm successful fabrication methods as well as X‑ray diffraction pattern confirms the crystalline behavior of nanocomposite. The study illustrates an environment-friendly and cost effective in situ fabrication rGO@AuNCs from industrial agro waste for an environmental remediation.