Carbon Dots Modification Surface of Titanium Dioxide and Their Photocatalytic Activity

This work, we develop the efficient visible-light-responsive titanium dioxide photocatalyst using carbon dots as a sensitizer (C-dots/TiO 2 ). C-dots was synthesized via a simple one-pot reaction by microwave-assisted pyrolysis method using orange juice as carbon precursors. C-dots/TiO 2 samples were prepared by a facile route. Moreover, the micro-structure and optical properties of as-prepared C-dots/TiO 2 have been evaluated using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS). The modification surface of TiO 2 with carbon dots enhanced the light absorption in visible region. The photocatalytic properties of as-prepared pure TiO 2 and C-dots/TiO 2 were also explored indigo carmine decolorization under visible light. The photocatalytic results revealed that the C-dots/TiO 2 exhibited higher catalytic performance than the pure TiO 2 under visible light.