Nonaqueous synthesis of TiO2–carbon hybrid nanomaterials with enhanced stable photocatalytic hydrogen production activity

Photocatalytic water splitting into hydrogen, a renewable and environmentally friendly alternative energy resource, offers a promising way to solve the increasingly urgent energy crisis. We prepare here a series of TiO2–carbon hybrid nanomaterials by heating oleylamine wrapped ultrathin TiO2 nanosheets at different temperatures in an air or inert atmosphere. Photocatalytic experiments show that the activity of these hybrid nanomaterials can be improved and stabilized in comparison to TiO2 nanomaterials without carbon hybridization no matter what shape (ultrathin nanosheets or nanoparticles) and crystalline phase (anatase or rutile) TiO2 presents in the composites. Similar surface species are demonstrated by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy for carbon modified anatase ultrathin nanosheets and nanoparticles, which may result in nearly the same hydrogen production rates of the two photocatalysts.