Hydrothermal synthesis of TiO2–RGO composites and their improved photocatalytic activity in visible light

Abstract

Composites of titanium dioxide–reduced graphene oxide (TiO₂–RGO) have been prepared via an efficient and facile hydrothermal reaction of graphene oxide and Ti(OH)₄ in a ethanol–water solvent. The structure and composition of the composites have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller specific area analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The results showed that the TiO₂–RGO composites exhibited a layered structure with well-dispersed anatase TiO₂ on the surface of the reduced graphene oxide. Compared with the pure TiO₂ nanoparticles, the composites had larger surface area, and extended the photoresponse range to the visible light region. The photocatalytic activity of the composites was much higher than that of TiO₂ in the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation.