Fine cutting edge shaped Bi₂O₃rods/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composite for supercapacitor and visible-light...

Bi₂O₃ rods/RGO composite has been synthesized by a simple precipitation and calcination method. The crystallnity, structural, and morphological features were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) techniques. The supercapacitor behavior was studied using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge discharge and impedance analysis, respectively. The Bi₂O₃ rods/RGO nanocomposite exhibits a maximum specific capacitance of 1041Fg^-1 at a current density of 2Ag^-1. The photocatalytic activity of Bi₂O₃ rods/RGO composite was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under visible-light irradiation. The enhancement of photocatalytic properties of Bi₂O₃ rods/RGO composite attributed to the synergistic effect between Bi₂O₃ rods and graphene sheets which effectively prevents recombination of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs in Bi₂O₃ rods. The present study provides a new approach in improving the performance of Bi₂O₃ rods/RGO composite in energy and environmental applications.