TiO2 nanobelts: Acid corrosion, enhanced photocatalytic activity and CeO2 deposition

TiO2 nanobelts are synthesized via a hydrothermal procedure. The rough surface can be obtained by sulfuric acid corrosion and TiO2 nanoparticles were attached on the surface of the nanobelts. The concentration of sulfuric acid and corrosion temperature play important roles on the morphology and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanobelts. The TiO2 nanoparticles on the nanobelts enhanced the photocatalytic activity. TiO2 nanobelts etched with sulfuric acid of 0.03 M at 120°C show the highest photocatalytic activity and the degradation rate of methyl orange reaches 84.64% after irradiated by the UV light for 2.5 h. With high concentration of sulfuric acid and corrosion temperature treated, belt-like structure would be broken, and even aggregated together, which weaken the photocatalytic activity. In addition, CeO2/TiO2 nanobelt heterostructure is prepared through the process of chemical coprecipitation. The rough surface provides the nucleation sites for CeO2, and the nanoparticles with small size can distribute on the surface of TiO2 nanobelts.