Synthesis of TiO2 nanosheet photocatalysts from exfoliation of TiS2 and hydrothermal treatment

• Published in: Journal of materials research Vol. 33; no. 21; pp. 3540 - 3548
• Main Authors: Jing, Hangkun, Cheng, Qian, Weller, J. Mark, Chu, Ximo S., Wang, Qing Hua, Chan, Candace K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, USA Cambridge University Press 14.11.2018; Springer International Publishing; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anatase; Applied and Technical Physics; Aqueous solutions; Biomaterials; Carbon; Carbon black; Catalysis; Catalytic activity; Crystal structure; Electrodes; Energy storage; Exfoliation; Hydrothermal treatment; Inorganic Chemistry; Interfacial properties; Lithium; Materials Engineering; Materials research; Materials Science; Metal oxides; Methylene blue; Morphology; Nanomaterials; Nanosheets; Nanotechnology; Organic chemistry; Oxidation; Photocatalysis; Photodegradation; Production methods; Scanning electron microscopy; Software; Spectrum analysis; Sulfur; Titanium; Titanium dioxide; France; Netherlands; nanostructure; photochemical; catalytic
• ISSN: 0884-2914; 2044-5326
• DOI: 10.1557/jmr.2018.165

TiO2 nanomaterials with platelet or nanosheet morphologies can offer improved properties for photocatalytic applications, but established methods to produce them typically require structure-directing agents since anatase-phase TiO2 does not have a layered structure. In the present work, the preparation of TiO2 nanosheets by the chemical oxidation of TiS2 nanosheets is demonstrated. Electrochemical exfoliation of bulk TiS2 into TiS2 nanosheets, followed by the hydrothermal treatment at 180 °C for 14 h is performed. The results show that polycrystalline TiO2 nanosheets with the anatase structure are formed, and that the nanosheet morphology can still be maintained after the hydrothermal treatment. The TiO2 nanosheets show good photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue, but the performance is negatively affected by the residual carbon black that was needed in the TiS2 electrode to enable electrochemical exfoliation. These results show that conversion of TiS2 nanosheets to TiO2 nanosheets is a promising synthetic strategy but highlights how the interfacial properties of the obtained materials could be affected by ancillary components in the preparation method.