Abstract
Porous V2O5/TiO2 nanoheterostructure films with different atomic ratios of Ti/V (4:1, 2:1, 1:1, and 1:2) were synthesized by a sparking method for the first time. The sparking method, which is a simple and cost-effective process, can synthesize highly porous and composite films in one step. Field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) images revealed the porosity morphology of all prepared samples. V2O5/TiO2 nanoheterostructure films were confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The secondary particle size and band gap of the samples were highly correlated to the V2O5 proportion, resulting in enhanced visible-light absorbance. V2O5/TiO2 nanoheterostructure films at an atomic ratio of 1:1 showed the highest photocatalytic performance, which improved the degradation rate up to 24% compared to pure TiO2 film. It is believed that the formed nanoheterostructure and greater portion of V4+ ions are reflected by this ratio.
Highlights
Titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) is a widely used photocatalyst because of its low cost, environmental friendliness, and stable photocatalytic reaction [1,2]
These results show that the band gaps of the samples were slightly narrowed with increased vanadium proportion, and this led to enhanced photocatalytic activity samples, while other samples exhibited only UV absorption
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed the existence of V4+ that integrated within the V2 O5 /TiO2 nanoheterostructure and had a significant effect on its photocatalytic performance
Summary
Titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) is a widely used photocatalyst because of its low cost, environmental friendliness, and stable photocatalytic reaction [1,2]. The wide energy gap of TiO2 (~3.2 eV) limits use of the visible-light region as the excitation energy for photo-generated electron-hole pairs. There are many methods that have been used to improve the photocatalytic property of TiO2. Surface modification is known to be able to promote photocatalytic performance by providing more effective interfacial properties. The large surface areas of 1-D structures and porous morphology are preferred in the design [5,6]. Composite films with a narrow band gap semiconductor are preferred, which can lead to superior performance of the pure TiO2 films [7,8,9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
