Enhancing structural, morphological, optical, and photocatalytic properties of ZnSe nanostructures via PTh-rGO integration

In the present study, graphene oxide (GO), zinc selenide (ZnSe) and polythiophene- reduced graphene oxide- zinc selenide (PTh-rGO-ZnSe) nanostructures are grown using the improved modified hummer’s method, hydrothermal and solvothermal method. The effect PTh-rGO on the physical properties of ZnSe is extensively studied. The structural analysis of the samples are studied from XRD studies. Utilizing Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), the existence of the elements of rGO, ZnSe, and PTh-rGO-ZnSe is verified. The grown structures' morphology forms sheets, spheres, and a few rods when they are compound, according to FESEM images. The samples' optical characteristics are examined using UV-Vis spectroscopy, and their band gaps are 4 eV, 4.25 eV, and 4.5 eV for GO, ZnSe, and PTh-rGO-ZnSe, which are determined using a Tauc plot. The potential of the GO, ZnSe and PTh-rGO-ZnSe nanostructures in photocatalytic methylene blue (MB) dye degradation of sun light is investigated and found that PTh-rGO-ZnSe exhibits superior photo catalytic performance. The examined material was further subjected to Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and scavenger radical analysis in order to examine the process of degradation.