Ultra-thin rGO nanosheet modified TiO2 nanotube arrays for boosted photoelectrochemical performance

Photoelectrodes made of ultra-thin graphene nanosheet modified TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) (rGO/TiO2) were prepared by impregnation under vacuum condition. The products have enhanced photogenerated charge separation efficiency and superior photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) performance with the hybridization of ultra-thin rGO nanosheets. The results indicate that the flat band potential of TiO2 was negatively shifted with rGO hybridization. The optimized rGO/TiO2-0.05 photoelectrode exhibited an enhanced photocurrent density, which was 1.62-times than that of TiO2. In addition, the PEC process over rGO/TiO2 photoelectrode showed far more degradation efficiency of phenol than photocatalytic (PC) and electrocatalytic (EC) process suggesting that photoelectric synergy effect was obtained over rGO/TiO2 photoelectrode.