The Effect of Graphene Oxide on Optical, Ferroelectric, and Catalytic Properties of Protein-Encapsulated ZnSe Nanocomposite

Abstract

To explore the effect of graphene oxide (GO) on optical, ferroelectric, and catalytic properties of the protein-encapsulated ZnSe nanocomposite, we have prepared BSA-encapsulated ZnSe (BSA-ZnSe) nanocomposite and graphene oxide integrated BSA-encapsulated ZnSe (GO/BSA-ZnSe) nanocomposite samples. The ZnSe nanoparticles within these nanocomposites exhibit a highly crystalline zincblende structure with an average size of 3.7 nm. Transmission electron microscopy studies confirm the successful integration of GO in the BSA-encapsulated ZnSe sample. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy results suggest that the interactions between ZnSe nanoparticles and BSA, likely facilitated by the amide and hydroxyl groups present in BSA. Optical studies showed that the addition of GO influenced the emission spectra towards a red shift, which is attributed to the conductive influence of graphene oxide. The ferroelectric properties indicated that the graphene integrated ZnSe nanocomposite exhibited high remanence and coercivity due to the interaction of semiconductive ZnSe with GO layers. In terms of catalytic activity, the GO/BSA-ZnSe nanocomposite exhibited better performance compared to the BSA-ZnSe nanocomposite.These results highlight the significant influence of graphene oxide on the optical, ferroelectric, and catalytic properties of the BSA-encapsulated ZnSe nanocomposite.