LAUSR

Abstract Graphene sheets have been prepared via green route in comparison to chemical method. Azadirachta indica leaves contained phytochemicals terpenoids and flavanones which behaved as an efficient reducing and capping agents for reduction of graphene oxide into graphene. For preparation of graphene sheets via chemical method, graphene oxide was reduced to graphene through ammonium hydroxide. Furthermore, microwaves were used during the reduction process. In comparison, green route was adopted to reduce GO to graphene sheets with well-maintained morphological feature. The absorption of microwaves led to rapid heating of GO which caused desorption of oxygen functional groups as well as re-ordering of graphene basal plane. Graphene sheets prepared by green route exhibited superior photo activity as compared to chemically prepared graphene sheets, graphene oxide and graphite. This is due to the efficient adsorption of dye molecules which actually sensitized the surface of highly smooth, transparent and well intensified exfoliated graphene sheets and suppressed the electron hole pair annihilation.