Abstract: To address the issue of low selectivity in the benzene to phenol preparation process, a novel exploratory experimental design is introduced. Students are guided to investigate the performance of FeOOH-reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composite aerogels prepared via the sol-gel method in the photocatalytic hydroxylation of benzene to phenol. The objective of this experiment is to achieve improved selectivity of benzene to phenol under mild conditions. This experiment plays a positive role in cultivating students’ innovative thinking, enhancing their innovation and practical abilities.

Key words: Reduced graphene oxide, Aerogel, Photocatalysis, Fenton reaction, Exploratory experiment