Advantaging Synergy Photocatalysis with Graphene‐Related Carbon as a Counterpart Player of Titania

Abstract

The enhancement of photocatalytic activity of TiO2 can be made either by promoting absorption efficiency of photon energy or by reducing recombination losses of photogenerated charge carriers, for which fabrication of nanocomposite structure with carbon materials is an optional selection. Among various nanocarbons, graphene (G), graphene oxide (GO), and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are more favorable as the counterpart materials because they can provide availability of both obverse and reverse surface, thus doubling effective sites for adsorption, loading of nanoparticles, and interfacial interaction with the loaded nanoparticles. Composition of G/GO with titania, therefore, is a hopeful strategy for achieving synergy or cooperative effect in photocatalysis. In this personal account, we focus on the background and methodology of several soft chemical approaches that we have utilized up to date to fabricate nanocomposites of G/GO and titania, aiming to shed light on the importance of designing of nanocomposite structure for enhancing photocatalysis. In addition, we emphasize the role of interfacial interaction between carbon and titania by exemplifying a hybridized photocatalyst based on inexpensive biomass‐derived carbon sphere (CS), and demonstrate that it is a crucial influential factor underlying an enhanced visible light photocatalysis. CS can be a better selection as a counterpart component than G/GO, whose core‐shell composing structure with titania (TiO2@CS) can efficiently induce charge transfer so as to achieve a much higher photocatalytic performance under visible light illumination as compared to the composite of rGO and titania.

An Efficient, Multi‐element AC/TiO2/WO3 Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride

“…In order to solve the problem of TiO 2 agglomeration, some researchers have proposed a plan to combine activated carbon with TiO 2 , which can improve the dispersibility while achieving the synergistic effect of adsorption and degradation [28–31] . Some people believe that the combination of adsorption and advanced oxidation is the future development trend, [32–36] illustrating the importance of adsorption in the oxidation process. However, these solutions for a single problem still have some shortcomings in practical applications.…”

Design and experimental analysis of a novel slant‐plate photoreactor

“…3 Currently, some hindrances limited the wide applications of photocatalysis, such as the high recombination of photogenerated charge carriers and low utilization of solar light spectrum. 4 The photocatalytic activity of semiconductors can be improved via rational material design, such as various biopolymers 5 and carbon materials 6 combined with semiconductors and many more.…”