Nowadays incorporation of few oxygen groups between the layers of graphite have shown potential approach for industrialization of graphene oxide for different potential applications. During the strong oxidation process in modified Hummers method, these oxygen based functional groups may increase the distance, weakening the van der Waals forces and facilitation the exfoliation of graphite layers from. The reduced graphene oxide/copper oxide (rGO-CuO) is highly potentially active and selective catalyst for many environmental applications. Different wt. % of Cu(II) and loaded on rGO surface to form a nanocomposite, which were prepared by hydrothermal method. The influence of hydrothermal temperature, rGO sheet and loaded CuO on structure of graphene was systematically investigated. The structure and optical properties of the obtained hybrid composite was evaluated employing scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, UV-visible and infrared spectroscopies. The photocatalytic activities of rGO-CuO nanocomposites for the degradation of Eosin B acid red under sunlight were
investigated. The results revealed the decrease in percentage photocatalytic degradation rate occurred on rGO-CuO, because a single sheet of rGO can shield the light from reaching the surface of CuO photocatalyst. It is possible to provide a new way to use the host rGO as prepared by hydrothermal method for water remediation applications.
