TiO2 NRAs Research Articles

Highly luminescent nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots sensitized TiO2 nanorod arrays for enhanced photoelectrochemical performance

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of N doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs) sensitized TiO2 nanorods (NRs) have been studied. NGQDs have been prepared by using a facile and low temperature solvothermal process. TiO2 NRs have been grown on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate using hydrothermal method. The microstructure, chemical bonding and optical properties of the NGQDs have been investigated in details. The NGQDs are highly crystalline with an average diameter of ~8 nm and demonstrate excellent excitation dependent photoluminescence (PL). The PEC properties of TiO2 NRAs have been studied after attachment of NGQDs at different loading times and optimum performance has been obtained at one hour. The photoresponse and PEC performance of TiO2 NRs have been boosted significantly after the attachment of NGQDs. The photoconversion efficiency (η%) and incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) of NGQDs sensitized TiO2 NRs has been improved by 85.3% and 89.4%, respectively compared to pristine TiO2 NRs. The charge transfer resistance (Rct) at nanorods/electrolyte junction has been decreased by 56.5% compared to pristine nanorods under white light illumination. In this study, the role of NGQDs as a green photosensitizer with TiO2 NRAs has been explored in detail.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Alcohol Oxidation at the Interface of RuC-Coated TiO2 Nanorod Arrays.

Visible-light-driven organic oxidations carried out under mild conditions offer a sustainable approach to performing chemical transformations important to the chemical industry. This work reports an efficient photocatalytic benzyl alcohol oxidation process using one-dimensional (1D) TiO2 nanorod (NR)-based photoanodes with surface-adsorbed ruthenium polypyridyl photocatalysts at room temperature. The photocatalyst bis(2,2'-bipyridine)(4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine)Ru(II) (RuC) was covalently anchored onto TiO2 nanorod arrays grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrode surfaces (FTO|t-TiO2|RuC, t = the thickness of TiO2 NR). Under aerobic conditions, the photophysical and photocatalytic properties of FTO|t-TiO2|RuC (t = 1, 2, or 3.5 μm) photoanodes were investigated in a solution containing a hydrogen atom transfer mediator (4-acetamido-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl, ACT) as cocatalyst. Dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells (DSPECs) using the FTO|t-TiO2|RuC (t = 1, 2, or 3.5 μm) photoanodes and ACT-containing electrolyte were investigated for carrying out photocatalytic oxidation of a lignin model compound containing a benzylic alcohol functional group. The best-performing anode surface, FTO|1-TiO2|RuC (shortest NR length), oxidized the 2° alcohol of the lignin model compound to the Cα-ketone form with a > 99% yield over a 4 h photocatalytic experiment with a Faradaic efficiency of 88%. The length of TiO2 NR arrays (TiO2 NRAs) on the FTO substrate influenced the photocatalytic performance with longer NRAs underperforming compared to the shorter arrays. The influence of the NR length is hypothesized to affect the homogeneity of the RuC coating and accessibility of the ACT mediator to the RuC-coated TiO2 surface. The efficient photocatalytic alcohol oxidation with visible light at room temperature as demonstrated in this study is important to the development of sustainable approaches for lignin depolymerization and biomass conversion.

Heterostructure-Induced Light Absorption and Charge-Transfer Optimization of a TiO2 Photoanode for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

Rutile titanium dioxide (TiO2) exhibits excellent photoelectrochemical properties but limited photocatalytic performance due to its large band gap and fast electron–hole recombination. Here, we report a composite catalyst of NiTiO3 nanoparticle-coated TiO2 nanorod arrays (NiTiO3/TiO2 NRAs) via an electrostatic assembly strategy. The NiTiO3/TiO2 heterostructure endows an enlarged absorption range and enhanced electron–hole separation efficiency. When being used as an electrode in photoelectrochemical water splitting, it achieves the highest photocurrent density of 1.94 mA cm–2 at 1.0 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, which is 3.74 times higher than the photocurrent density of pristine rutile TiO2 NRAs (0.51 mA cm–2). The heterostructure engineering strategy is demonstrated to enhance the photoelectrochemical performance, which can be extended to optimize various semiconductor photocatalysts.

Ultraviolet photodetectors based on TiO2 nanorod arrays/PEDOT-type conducting polymers

In this paper, the TiO2 nanorod arrays (TiO2 NRAs)/PEDOT-type conducting polymers composites were prepared by a simple electrochemical polymerization method and used as materials for ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors. The poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and poly(3,4-propylenedioxythiophene) (PProDOT) were selected as PEDOT-type conducting polymers. The structural, morphology and properties of photocurrent response of PEDOT/TiO2 NRAs and PProDOT/TiO2 NRAs were systematically studied. The results indicated that the polymer film grown on TiO2 NRAs surface presented three-dimensional porous network structure, and there was a strong interaction between polymer film and TiO2 NRAs. The results of the I–V characteristic curve showed that the composites had good rectification behavior. Due to the p-n heterojunction formed between n-type TiO2 NRAs and p-type polymer, both PEDOT/TiO2 NRAs and PProDOT/TiO2 NRAs had photocurrent response performance under 0 V and 1 V bias. Compared with the PEDOT/TiO2 NRAs, the PProDOT/TiO2 NRAs showed better UV photodetection performance, and the rise and fall time were respectively 26.2 s and 37.78 s at a bias of 1 V, while the rise and fall time were respectively 0.49 s and 8.79 s at a bias of 0 V. This research has certain potential and application value in the field of UV photodetectors.

S-scheme heterojunction of core–shell biphase (1T-2H)-MoSe2/TiO2 nanorod arrays for enhanced photoelectrocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide

Developing high-performance photocatalytic electrodes is significant for realizing the efficient photoelectrocatalytic generation of H2O2 for converting naturally available chemicals. It is also a challenge to achieve high conversion efficiencies. Herein, we construct a step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunction using core–shell 2H semiconductor MoSe2 phase at TiO2 nanorod arrays (2H-MoSe2/TiO2 NRAs) with an in-situ synthesis of 1 T metallic phase in the initial 2H-MoSe2 overlayer to build coupled, biphasic (1 T-2H)-MoSe2/TiO2 NRAs successfully. This S-scheme heterojunction of both 2H-MoSe2/TiO2 NRAs and (1 T-2H)-MoSe2/TiO2 NRAs presents excellent photoelectrocatalytic activities for H2O2 production under ultraviolet light illumination. The former yields an H2O2 production rate that is 3.3 times as high as the pristine TiO2 NRAs, while the latter biphasic interface achieves a 4.7-fold enhancement. The 1 T metallic MoSe2 plays a vital role as the charge carrier transfer bridge between 2H-MoSe2 and TiO2 to promote the S-type charge transportation. Further DFT calculations and experimental results indicate that the MoSe2 overcoating could effectively suppress H2O2 decomposition. This work provides a promising strategy to construct high-performance S-scheme heterojunctions through in-situ interface modulation.

Carbon-Based All-Inorganic CsPbI2Br Perovskite Solar Cells Using TiO2 Nanorod Arrays: Interface Modification and the Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance

Recently, carbon-based all-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) caught the attention of photovoltaic researchers due to their remarkable stability. Herein, we report a carbon-based all-inorganic CsPbI2Br PSC using TiO2 nanorod arrays (TiO2 NRAs) as an electron transporting layer. The method of using TiO2 NRAs as an electron pathway has the advantage of increasing the electron–hole separation effectively and enables a thicker active perovskite layer to obtain a stronger absorbance. In addition, a water–alcohol soluble CsCl was used to modify the interface between TiO2 NRAs and the CsPbI2Br active layer to reduce interfacial recombination of charge carriers in the cells, and the CsCl interface-modified device showed a 10.6% increase in the open-circuit voltage. An optimized power conversion efficiency of 11.45% has been obtained, which is one of the superior performances reported for the carbon-based pure CsPbI2Br PSCs to date.

Great Enhancement of Self‐Powered Photoresponse Performance of C3H8NSi‐TiO2 NRAs/n‐Si Heterojunction by Build‐In and Build‐Out Electric Field Jointly Promoting Carrier Separation

AbstractA novel silane coupling agent grafting TiO2 nanorod arrays (C3H8NSi‐TiO2 NRAs)/n‐Si heterojunction is introduced. A built‐out electric field is created on the surface of TiO2 NRAs by silane coupling agent modifications, which can promote photo‐generated carriers separation so that the C3H8NSi‐TiO2 NRAs/n‐Si heterojunction shows excellent self‐powered broadband photoresponse properties. Especially under 900 nm illumination, the self‐powered device demonstrates the responsivity (R), detectivity (D*), and sensitivity (S) of ≈7.76 A W−1, ≈5.22 × 1014 Jones, and ≈1.12 × 1010 cm2 W−1, respectively. Compared with that of the unmodified TiO2 NRAs/n‐Si heterojunction, the R, D*, and S are increased by two orders of magnitude. The results are mainly ascribed to the original built‐in electric field of heterojunction and the created built‐out electric field which jointly promote carriers separation and the unconventional porous electrode which plays a crucial role in collecting holes. The DFT calculations and TRPL results indicate the formation and carriers separation capability of the built‐out electric field. This design concept can be extended to the application of other varieties of metal oxide based photoelectric devices.

In situ grown TiO2 nanorod arrays functionalized by molecularly imprinted polymers for salicylic acid recognition and detection

Abstract Salicylic acid (SA) is the active agent in a great many analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Its abuse would result in side effects to the health of human beings. Developing a simple and effective method for real-time tracking and monitoring of SA is necessary. In this work, a novel electrochemical sensor based on the molecularly imprinted polymers functionalized TiO2 nanorod arrays modified fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass electrode (MIPs/TiO2 NRAs@FTO) was fabricated for the detection of salicylic acid (SA). TiO2 NRAs were directly grown on FTO by a simple hydrothermal method. SA was imprinted on TiO2 NRAs@FTO through a facile UV polymerization process. The nanorods structure of TiO2 provided a high specific surface area for SA imprinting, raising the number of imprinted sites, minimizing diffusion limitations, improving the internal mass transport, enhancing accessibility of the active sites and consequently boosting the sensitivity and binding capacity of the sensor. Furthermore, TiO2 could act as a photosensitizer in the presence of AIBN initiator to promote the formation of MIPs via a simple photo-polymerization process. The electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to demonstrate the electrochemical sensor construction process. The differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) signal of the MIPs accumulated SA exhibited the linearity to its concentration ranging from 1.0 × 10−7 to 5.0 × 10−5 M under the optimized conditions. The detection limit was down to 3.9 × 10−8 M based on S/N = 3. This sensor has been applied for the detection of SA in the Aspirin tablet successfully. The results showed that this MIPs/TiO2 NRAs@FTO electrochemical sensor could be applied in medical field simply with low-cost. This work may provide new insights into the design and fabrication of a new platform for sensing applications.

Carbon quantum dots-decorated TiO2/g-C3N4 film electrode as a photoanode with improved photoelectrocatalytic performance for 1,4-dioxane degradation

In this study, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were used to decorate a TiO2/g-C3N4 (TCN) film electrode. The morphological, optical, and electrochemical properties of the TiO2/g-C3N4/CQDs nanorod arrays (TCNC NRAs) film were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence (PL), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The improved optical properties, photoelectrochemical properties and photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) performance of photoanode can be observed by doping CQDs onto the TCN NRAs film. Compared with TiO2 NRAs and TCN NRAs, the narrower band gap of 2.47 eV and longer lifetime of photoinduced electron-hole pairs were observed in the TCNC NRAs. Under visible light irradiation and a bias voltage of 1.2 V, the photocurrent density and 1,4-dioxane (1,4-D) removal rate of PEC process with TCNC NRAs electrode reached 0.16 mA/cm2 and 77.9%, respectively, which was 2.5 times and 1.5 times of that with TCN NRAs electrode. TCNC NRAs electrode could keep >75% of the 1,4-D removal rate during five cycles tests. High PEC performance with TCNC NRAs electrode could be attributed to the enhanced charge separation and the change of electron transfer mechanism from typical heterojunction to Z-scheme, which may increase the active species production and change the dominant reactive species from O2·- to ·OH. Our experimental results should be useful for studying the degradation of 1,4-D and developing efficient PEC materials.

Few-layers MoS2 sensitized Ag–TiO2 nanocomposite thin film for enhancing photocatalytic activity

The novel few-layers MoS2 sensitized Ag–TiO2 were prepared through hydrothermal method, photoreduction method and spin-coating method, respectively. The microstructure, surface morphology, chemical composition and ultraviolet–visible absorbance of the samples were investigated systematically. The results indicated that the Ag nanoparticles and few-layers MoS2 were deposited successfully on the surface of TiO2 NRAs. The visible photocatalytic activity was estimated by degradation of methylene blue solution. The results indicated that the photocatalytic properties of MoS2/Ag–TiO2 was larger than pure TiO2 NRAs and Ag–TiO2. The significantly increased photocatalytic properties was attributed to the stronger visible light capture capability and the enhanced electron–hole pairs separation.

Hierarchical hematite/TiO2 nanorod arrays coupled with responsive mesoporous silica nanomaterial for highly sensitive photoelectrochemical sensing

The photoelectrochemical (PEC) technique has resulted in substantial progress in chemical sensing applications. However the complicated photoelectrode modification procedures would enable undesired background noise and decreasing sensitivity. Hence, it is important to explore a new approach alternative to inconvenient substrate modification. Herein, inspired by the stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems, an innovative PEC system is developed for efficiently microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) tracing. Hierarchical nanocomposites based on hematite (α-Fe2O3) coated self-ordered titanium dioxide nanorod arrays (TiO2 NRAs) exhibited enhanced response to solar light, promoted charge carrier separation and transfer efficiency was adopted as photoelectrode directly. Functional mesoporous silica nanomaterial (MSN) is prepared as nanocarriers for efficient loading of Cu2+, further capped with miRNA-21 responsive capture RNA probe. Thereafter, the capture RNA probe endows the functional MSN with responsiveness to miRNA-21. With the presence of miRNA-21, this system is thus triggered and a quickly release of capped Cu2+ occurs due to the dissociation of capture RNA probe presented on the MSN surface via base-pair hybridization. The released Cu2+ was then served as electron acceptor reduced to Cu° at the counter electrode to enhance electron-hole pair separation efficiency, leading to a promoted photocurrent response. Consequently, the miRNA-21 can be accurately quantified. Taking advantage of its sensitivity and specificity, this versatile strategy demonstrates a new route for the design PEC sensing approach without any photoelectrode modification procedure, and holds great potential for biosensing and clinical diagnosis.

Pr3+ doped biphasic TiO2 (rutile-brookite) nanorod arrays grown on activated carbon fibers: Hydrothermal synthesis and photocatalytic properties

Praseodymium-doped biphasic TiO2 (rutile-brookite) nanorod arrays (Pr-TiO2 NRAs) were successfully prepared via a two-step hydrothermal reaction on activated carbon fibers (ACFs) which pre-coated with TiO2 nanoparticles at first step. The bicrystalline arrays grown on ACFs are primarily constructed by the well-aligned TiO2 nanorods growing along [0 0 1] direction, which were indicated by the results of SEM and XRD. The nanorods are uniform in diameter and length with about 250 nm and 2.5 μm. The composite photocatalyst with high specific surface area and well-aligned nanostructure are beneficial to enhance the adsorption capacity and even help to suppress electron-hole recombination effectively, which consequently revealed much better (2 times) catalytic performance than that of commercially available P25 TiO2 on methylene blue(MB) photodegradation. In addition, the existence of praseodymium in TiO2 gives rise to shift of absorption edge towards long wavelength, which was indicated by the results of UV-vis DRS. Photodegradation results reveal that Pr-doping significantly improves the activity of TiO2, which was 20% higher than that of undoped TiO2 NRAs for the photodegradation of MB in aqueous medium under visible light irradiation. Meanwhile, the doped amount of Pr had a tiny influence on the photocatalytic performance of the composites. In our experiment, 3% Pr-doped molar concentration was proven to be the relatively optimal dopant concentration for the doping of TiO2 NRAs. Moreover, the photocatalyst grown on ACFs substrates is favorable to reuse and photodegradation rate kept on 76% even after 4 times of reuse.

Enhanced optical and photoelectrochemical performance of single-crystalline TiO2 nanorod arrays with exposed {001} facets sensitized with CdS nanosheets

Single-crystalline TiO2 nanorod arrays (TiO2 NRAs) with dominant {001} facets sensitized with CdS nanosheets were prepared on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate by a simple combination of hydrothermal and successive ion layer absorption and reaction (SILAR) methods. The amount of CdS nanosheets was controlled by changing reaction time (0, 2, 6, and 10 min) in SILAR process. The effects of SILAR time on the microstructure, morphology, and optical and photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 NRAs were investigated. Changing of SILRA times are accompanied by significant variations of optical properties including a decrease of the band gap from 2.98 to 2.41 eV and a red absorption peak shift from ultraviolet to visible region. Notably, the photoelectrochemical performance of TiO2 NRAs after 6 min SILAR deposition of CdS nonosheets improved significantly, displaying an optimal photocurrent density of 1.5 mA cm−2, which is about 15 times higher than that of pure TiO2 NRAs. This enhanced photoelectrochemical properties due to the synergistic effect of CdS nanosheets and rutile TiO2 NRAs with highly reactive {001} facets.

A novel visible-light driven photoelectrochemical immunosensor based on multi-amplification strategy for ultrasensitive detection of microcystin-LR

An ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunoassay based on multiple signal amplification strategy was fabricated for the detection of microcystin-LR (MC-LR). The CdS/TiO2 nanorod arrays (CdS/TiO2 NRAs) modified FTO electrode, which can weaken the self-oxidation by photogenerated holes of CdS nanoparticles, and limit the recombination of electron-hole pairs and broaden optical absorption of TiO2 NRAs, was used as a visible-light driven material to immobilize antigens. Then, Fe3O4 nanoparticles/polydopamine (Fe3O4@PDA) was used as the carrier to load secondary antibody (Ab2) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), where Fe3O4 nanoparticles and HRP can synergistically accelerate the oxidation of 4-chloro-1-naphthol (4-CN) by H2O2 to produce biocatalytic precipitation (BCP) on the surface of modified electrode. Due to the catalytic activity of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and HRP, the nonproductive absorption of HRP and the steric hindrance by BCP, the photocurrent change was amplified. The proposed PEC immunosensor can detect MC-LR in a range of 0.005–500 μg/L with a detection limit of 0.001 μg/L. Meanwhile, the PEC immunosensor exhibited high sensitivity, good stability, acceptable selectivity and reproducibility, indicating its potential application in environmental monitoring.

TiO2 nanotube arrays: hydrothermal fabrication and photocatalytic activities

Titanium dioxide nanotube arrays (TiO2 NTAs) with rutile phase have been fabricated successfully via a two-step hydrothermal method. TiO2 nanorod arrays (TiO2 NRAs) are first hydrothermally grown on FTO substrate. Then the TiO2 NTAs can be obtained by controlling the HCl concentration of the hydrothermal etching process. The TiO2 NTAs have been characterized by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible spectroscope. Evolution of TiO2 nanoarrays are accompanied by enhanced of the surface area and optical properties. Compared with TiO2 NRAs, the prepared TiO2 NTAs is more efficient in the photodegradation of methyl orange. These results reveal that the hydrothermal chemical etching provide a flexible and straightforward route for design and preparation of TiO2 NTAs, promising for new opportunities in photocatalysts and other fields.

Photodegradation of Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine by TiO2 Nanorod Arrays Decorated with CdS Nanoparticles Under Visible Light.

Photocatalysis technology could utilize solar energy to degrade many toxic pollutants and provides possibility to deal with unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) wastewater with less energy consumption. In this study, well-aligned TiO2 nanorod arrays (TiO2 NRAs) were grown directly on transparent conductive glass (FTO) via a hydrothermal method, and TiO2 NRAs/CdS heterostructure films were prepared by decorating TiO2 NRAs with CdS nanoparticles through successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR). Under visible light, the TiO2 NRAs/CdS heterostructure displays enhanced photodegrading capacity compared with the bare TiO2 NRAs, and the highest photodegradation rate, 27.5% higher than that of the bare TiO2 NRAs, was achieved by the sample with 15 SILAR cycles. Additionally, the solution pH had some influence on the degradation process, which shows that the best degradation rate can be achieved in the neutral solution (pH is ca. 7.2), and the photodegradation process can be better in alkaline solution than in the acid solution. Moreover, the visible photocatalytic stability of the TiO2 NRAs/CdS sample was investigated. Finally, the underlying photocatalytic mechanism was discussed according to the photoelectrochemical and photoluminescence results.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s11671-016-1718-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Suppress the Charge Recombination in Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells by Construct the Al–treated TiO2/TiO2 NRAs Heterojunctions

AbstractThere are many paths of recombination at the TiO2/CdS/electrolyte interface. It is important to reduce the recombination rate of charges to improve the photoelectric properties of quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). In this paper, the TiO2 nanowire arrays (TiO2 NRAs) has been modified with Al‐treated TiO2 layer by sol‐gel method to construct the Al‐treated TiO2/TiO2 NRAs heterojunctions. The analysis results reveal that the Fermi level of the TiO2 has changed after being modified by Al‐treated TiO2 layer, which could form the interface electric field. The SPV, TPV and the TPC are applied to analyze the mechanism of photogenerated charge recombination. Due to the interface electric field, the SPV indicates that the separation efficiency of charge is improved; the TPV shows that the recombination of the photogenerated electrons with holes would be suppressed; and the TPC illustrates that the recombination of the photogenerated electrons with holes and electrolyte is reduced. And, the lifetime of the photo‐generated electrons is prolonged. Consequently, the QDSCs based on TiO2 NRAs photoelectrodes modified by the Al‐treated TiO2 layer exhibit a maximal solar energy conversion efficiency of 2.58 %, which is 45 % higher than that of the TiO2 NRAs photoelectrode. Finally, our method of modifying photoanode exhibits a route to restrain the charge recombination and prolong the lifetime of photo‐generated electrons, which shows a tremendous potential for the photoelectrochemical fields.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity Based on Composite Structure with Downconversion Material and Graphene

TiO2 nanorods arrays (TiO2 NRAs):Eu3+, Tb3+ decorated with Cs2CO3/CdS grown on carbon textiles coated with a TiO2–graphene (TiO2-G) thin film (TiO2-G/TiO2 NRAs:Eu3+, Tb3+/Cs2CO3/CdS) was fabricated. The as-prepared sample exhibits an excellent photodegradation performance under xenon (Xe) lamp light irradiation. The result indicates that the presence of Eu3+, Tb3+ can be excited by ultraviolet light to produce a high intensity visibe light absorbed by CdS, which can generate more photogenerated electron hole pairs. In addition, the presence of graphene is an important factor in accelerating the transferring of photogenerated electron to carbon textiles for photocatalytic reaction. This work can offer an alternative route for designing a hybrid structure system to utilize effectively broad-spectrum solar light and suppress the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs.

Preparation of TiO<SUB align="right">2 nanorod arrays decorated with CdS nanoparticles exhibiting enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic properties in visible light

TiO2 nanorod arrays (TiO2 NRAs) decorated with CdS nanoparticles (CdS NPs) were fabricated via successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), and TiO2 NRAs were obtained by oxidising Ti NARs obtained through oblique angle deposition (OAD) by magnetron sputtering. The TiO2 NRAs decorated with CdS NPs exhibited excellent visible light photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic properties, and the one decorated with 20 SILAR cycles CdS NPs plays the best performance. This can be attributed to the enhanced electrons-holes generation and separation by forming hetero-junctions of CdS NPs and TiO2 NRAs. It provides a promising way to fabricate the material applied in the solar energy conversion and waste water degradation.

Hybrid nanostructures of TiO2 nanorod array/Cu2O with a CH3NH3PbI3 interlayer for enhanced photocatalytic activity and photoelectrochemical performance

A novel composite photocatalyst constructed from TiO2 NRAs, CH3NH3PbI3 and Cu2O exhibits highly efficient visible light photocatalysis activity.