Sheet-on-belt branched TiO(2)(B)/rGO powders with enhanced photocatalytic activity

TiO(2)(B) is usually adopted to construct phase junctions with anatase TiO(2) for applications in photocatalysis to facilitate charge separation; its intrinsic photocatalytic activity, especially when in the form of one- or three-dimensional nanostructures, has been rarely reported. In this study, a sheet-on-belt branched TiO(2)(B) powder was synthesized with the simultaneous incorporation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The monophase, hierarchically nanostructured TiO(2)(B) exhibited a reaction rate constant 1.7 times that of TiO(2)(B)/rGO and 2.9 times that of pristine TiO(2)(B) nanobelts when utilized to assist the photodegradation of phenol in water under UV light illumination. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the significantly increased surface area and enhanced charge separation.