Construction of g-pTAP/TiO2 heterostructure for enhanced photoelectrochemical performance

Abstract

Heterostructures effectively limit the electron-hole pair recombination and prolong the lifetime of charge carriers. However, it is particularly challenging to develop appropriate nanostructured materials systems with outstanding photocatalytic activity. This study describes the synthesis of heterostructures (g-pTAP/TiO2) with various weight ratios of g-pTAP (0–40%) using a solid-state thermal polycondensation process. A variety of analytical techniques were used to assess the structural, morphological, and optical characteristics of the constructed heterostructures. The photoelectrochemical performances of both pure and synthetic heterostructures were evaluated using the water oxidation reaction. Moreover, the photocatalytic effectiveness of the heterostructures was also evaluated using the degradation of methylene blue dye under simulated sunlight. The results showed that g-pTAP integration into TiO2 enhanced both photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performance, with 20 wt% g-pTAP with TiO2 exhibiting the best performance compared to all other heterostructures. This enhancement in performance in g-pTAP/TiO2 can be attributed to the synergistic interaction between efficient light absorption and charge separation.