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Hierarchical TiO 2 nanosheet‐assembled nanotubes with dual electron sink functional sites for efficient photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B
Author(s) -
Zhang Chao,
Zhou Yuming,
Bao Jiehua,
Zhang Yiwei,
Zhao Shuo,
Fang Jiasheng,
Chen Wenxia,
Sheng Xiaoli
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
applied organometallic chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.53
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1099-0739
pISSN - 0268-2605
DOI - 10.1002/aoc.4204
Subject(s) - nanosheet , photocatalysis , rhodamine b , nanotube , materials science , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , catalysis , photochemistry , chemistry , carbon nanotube , organic chemistry , engineering
A novel Pt–TiO 2 /Ag nanotube photocatalyst has been synthesized successfully via a facile method. TiO 2 nanotubes are assembled with numerous ultrathin TiO 2 nanosheets and show a highly open structure. The gaps between adjacent TiO 2 nanosheets can serve as channels for the access of reactants, accelerating the mass transfer process. During the fabrication process of the Pt–TiO 2 /Ag nanotube photocatalyst, high‐quality Pt–SiO 2 nanotubes are synthesized first with the structure‐directing effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone. Then a TiO 2 layer is coated on the outside surface of the silica nanotubes. The introduced titanium species can be converted into TiO 2 nanosheet structure during the subsequent hydrothermal treatment, gradually constructing nanosheet‐assembled nanotubes. Lastly, after the introduction of another electron sink function site of Ag through UV irradiation, the Pt–TiO 2 /Ag nanotube photocatalyst with dual electron sink functional sites is obtained. The specially doped Pt and Ag NPs can simultaneously inhibit the recombination process of photogenerated charge carriers and increase light utilization efficiency. Therefore, the as‐synthesized Pt–TiO 2 /Ag nanotube catalyst exhibits a high photocatalytic degradation performance for rhodamine B of 0.2 min −1 , which is about 3.2 and 5.3 times as high as that of Pt–TiO 2 and TiO 2 nanotubes because of the enhanced charge carrier separation efficiency. Furthermore, in the unique nanoarchitecture, the nanotubes are assembled with numerous ultrathin TiO 2 nanosheets, which can absorb abundant active species and dye molecules for photocatalytic reaction. On the basis of experimental results, a possible rhodamine B degradation mechanism is proposed to explain the excellent photocatalytic efficiency of the Pt–TiO 2 /Ag nanotube photocatalyst.