A highly efficient nano-graphite-doped TiO2 photocatalyst with a unique sea-island structure for visible-light degradation

Abstract

A nano-graphite-doped TiO₂ composite, C-TiO₂, was fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of TiO₂ onto carbon fiber fabrics (CFFs), followed by calcination. The morphology and structure of the C-TiO₂ composite were characterized by various techniques. The photocatalytic activity of C-TiO₂ was compared with that of commercial P25. Results revealed that the nano-graphite/TiO₂ “islands” with diameters of ∼5.5 nm were uniformly embedded inside the graphite “sea”. Nano-graphite sheets closely contacted with TiO₂, which formed Ti–O–C bonds between nano-graphite and TiO₂. The as-prepared C-TiO₂ showed 2.1-fold higher photocatalytic activity than that of P25 and the reported C-TiO₂ composite under visible light. C-TiO₂ could effectively degrade MB at a removal rate of up to 93.1% even after 6 cycles of repeated usage.