The structure, morphology and photocatalytic activity of graphene–TiO2 multilayer films and charge transfer at the interface

Abstract

Graphene–TiO₂ multilayer films were prepared using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and magnetron sputtering. Inserting graphene into TiO₂ induced significant enhancement of the TiO₂ Raman signal, which was mainly based on the charge transfer between TiO₂ and graphene. The insertion of graphene also greatly affected the surface morphology of the TiO₂ films, leading to increased specific surface area. The adsorption capacity and UV photocatalytic activity of the samples were investigated in the process of methyl orange (MO) decomposition and it was found that graphene–TiO₂ multilayer films exhibited improved photodegradation efficiency compared to pure TiO₂ films.