Sheet-on-belt branched TiO₂(B)/rGO powders with enhanced photocatalytic activity

TiO₂(B) is usually adopted to construct phase junctions with anatase TiO₂ 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 TiO₂(B) powder was synthesized with the simultaneous incorporation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The monophase, hierarchically nanostructured TiO₂(B) exhibited a reaction rate constant 1.7 times that of TiO₂(B)/rGO and 2.9 times that of pristine TiO₂(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.