Promoted photocatalytic performances over Ti3+-B co-doped TiO2/BN with high carrier transfer and absorption capabilities driven by SWCNT addition

Abstract

Recently, carbon nanotubes have been widely used as supporting materials for semiconductor photocatalysts due to their excellent electron and mass transportation. Herein, we prepared a novel SWCNT-decorated Ti3+-B co-doped TiO2/BN (STBN) photocatalyst with the presence of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) during the hybridization of BN and TiB2. The effects of SWCNTs on the structural and photocatalytic properties were investigated. Adding SWCNTs enables excellent multifunctional photocatalytic performances (N2 fixation, H2 production, and MO degradation) compared with the TBN synthesized in the previous study. Introducing SWCNTs reduces the transfer resistance and makes the photogenerated carriers transfer more efficiently, thereby improving photocatalytic activity. More defect sites provide extra adsorption sites for reactants and photogenerated electrons, significantly improving the system's photocatalytic activity. The enhanced photocatalytic mechanism of SWCNT-decorated hybrid catalysts was proposed at last.