FORMATION OF WO₃/MoS₂/rGO COMPOSITE PREPARED BY INTEGRATION OF PULSE LASER ABLATION AND HYDROTHERMAL METHOD TO ENHANCE OPTICAL AND PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY

In the field of photocatalysis and nanoparticles, two-dimensional (2D) materials, especially TMD materials and Transitional metal oxides, are very popular. The present study shows the formation of WO 3 /MoS 2 /rGO ternary composite using hybrid methods, which include laser ablation and hydrothermal methods. It is found that the shape of MoS 2 bulk materials can be reduced using the laser ablation method. However, introducing the energy bridge between the molecules through hydrothermal processes allows for crystallization, size degradation, and the appropriate integration of all materials. Different kinds of characterization methods, including Raman, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopies, were applied to investigate the morphology, optical properties, and spectroscopic characteristics of the prepared material. The formation of the ternary nanocomposite can be clearly seen using UV–Vis spectroscopy. On the other hand, FE-SEM shows the structure of the MoS 2 nanorods laying on top of GO sheets and mixing with WO 3 . The SEM energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) images show that all three elements are present, which indicates that the ternary composite of WO 3 , MoS 2 , and rGO has been formed. The crystallinity of the sample has been confirmed by XRD and Raman spectroscopy. Also, the Raman spectrum reveals that the absence of rGO is due to a change in the nature of the ternary G band and D band. The bulk rGO, bulk WO 3 , binary WO 3 /rGO, and a ternary composite of WO 3 /MoS 2 /rGO show the degradation of methylene blue degradation under UV-light irradiation as 43.5%, 57.23%, 76.23%, and 91.23% respectively. The prepared WO 3 /MoS 2 /rGO composite is recognized for its significant photocatalytic activity in experimental investigations in the field of photocatalysis.