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A key auxiliary role of photothermal effect (PTE) in the enhancement of photocatalytic activity under illumination to near-infrared (NIR) radiations has been experimentally revealed. It was found that the photoexcitation of electrons, required for the process of photocatalysis does not occur in presence of NIR radiations alone without the support of both UV and visible radiations. Herein, a binary heterogeneous nanophotocatalyst, GR-ZnO was fabricated by a novel approach using hydrothermal process. In which ZnO nanotrapezoids were deposited over the surfaces of graphene nanosheets. In the reported unique approach, reduction of graphene oxide to graphene has been accomplished using water by an entirely alternative mechanism compared to traditional reduction processes those employ the hazardous reducing agents. Thus produced GR-ZnO photocatalyst has exhibited the excellence in rapid degradation of industrially voluntarily employing perilous dye, methyl orange. It is explored that PTE is mainly responsible for the rapid degradation of methyl orange transpired under illumination to NIR laser. Further, it has been established that PTE could not emerge with NIR radiations alone without the support of both UV and visible radiations. In consideration of its importance, PTE of GR-ZnO nanocatalyst has been revealed and compared with its individual components, viz., graphene and ZnO. Moreover, the photothermal conversion efficiency of GR-ZnO nanocatalyst was evaluated. Overall, the excellent catalytic activity found in GR-ZnO nanocatalyst was accounted for its decreased band gap, transpired by hybridization of ZnO with graphene could efficiently prevent the recombination of photo-generated charge carriers. In addition, admired catalytic activity of GR-ZnO nanocatalyst was attributed to improved optical absorption and enhancement in the adsorption affinity to methyl orange molecules.

Photothermal effect: an important aspect for the enhancement of photocatalytic activity under illumination by NIR radiation