Reduced Graphene Oxide Doped Vanadium Pentoxide Films as Promising Photostabilizer

Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) films doped with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were synthesized using sol-gel method in the form of rGOx.V2O5.nH2O (given x = 0.10, 0.20 and 0.35 mole%) and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and found matching with ICCD card number 00-040-1296. The average crystalline size for each rGO concentration was determined using the Scherrer equation and found to be decreasing from 4.9 nm to 3.2 nm with as rGO increases. The UV-Vis spectroscopic analysis revealed that the films endorse strong UV absorption in the region of 200 to 500nm, making them a potential option for solar cell photostabilizer applications. Absorption before and after irradiation at different exposure times were measured. The relative absorption for pure and doped samples were measured as a function of irradiation time and found the addition of rGO decreased the photo-degradation. The rate constants K and the half life time t1/2 of photo-degradation were calculated and compared to pure sample using Grabchev and Bojinov equations. The novelty of this study lies in the characterization of rGO-doped vanadium pentoxide films as the evaluation of their photostabilizing properties. The results indicate the potential of rGO as a valuable additive for enhancing the stability and durability of photovoltaic devices, opening up new possibilities for future advancements in solar energy technologies