One-pot hydrothermal synthesis of TiO2/RCN heterojunction photocatalyst for production of hydrogen and rhodamine B degradation

The novel heterojunction photocatalysts that TiO2 modified rod-like g-C3N4 with different ratios were fabricated via one-pot hydrothermal treatment, which using tetrabutyl titanate and traditional bulk-like g-C3N4 powder as raw materials. The results show that the particles of TiO2 are well-distributed on the surface of rod-like g-C3N4. The photocatalytic performances were evaluated through photoredox water splitting and rhodamine B degradation test under visible light irradiation. By investigating the effects of different scavengers, it displays that the h+ and O2– played major role in the photocatalytic reactions. The synergic effect between TiO2 and rod-like g-C3N4 lead to an improved photogenerated carrier separation and enhance photocatalytic activities. The intermediates of the photodegradation process were identified by HPLC and LC/MS methods.