Fabrication of nickel-tetramine phthalocyanine-sugarcane pith graphene oxide composites for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of aniline blue and eosin B

In this study, sugarcane pith was used to prepare graphene oxide (GO), and sugarcane pith graphene oxide (SPGO) was bonded to nickel-tetramine phthalocyanine (NiTAPc) to synthesize NiTAPc-SPGO. The NiTAPc-SPGO photocatalytic performance was evaluated by measuring aniline blue (AB) and eosin B (EB) photodegradation under xenon lamp irradiation. The effect of reaction conditions, such as dark storage conditions, with or without H₂O₂, on the photocatalytic degradation of these dyes was investigated. The materials were characterized using ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, a suitable mechanism for the NiTAPc-SPGO-mediated photocatalytic degradation of the dyes was proposed. The results showed that NiTAPc-SPGO had a higher degradation ability for EB (93.32 %) and for AB (84.79 %) in the presence of 1.5 mL H₂O₂. H₂O₂ and NiTAPc-SPGO showed synergistic effects, which accelerate the dye's degradation degree and rate. Under xenon lamp irradiation, the NiTAPc in NiTAPc-SPGO turned into the excited state, which disintegrated into hole–electron pairs. The NiTAPc-SPGO composite material showed lower circular impedance and resistivity and enhanced conductivity and ability to separate light-generated carriers than SPGO.