Hydrothermal Synthesis of Anatase TiO2 Nanoflowers on a Nanobelt Framework for Photocatalytic Applications

Anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoflowers were fabricated on rutile TiO2 nanobelts through a simple hydrothermal synthesis. The architecture of the composite nanostructures was composed of a rutile nanobelt framework with anatase nanoflowers. The novel TiO2 composite nanostructures exhibit higher photocatalytic activity for organic pollutants relative to TiO2 nanobelts and commercially available nanoparticles (P25). This enhanced photocatalytic activity is primarily a result of complex crystal nanostructures that enhance the carrier transport along the nanobelt framework. The results indicate that this novel TiO2 nanostructure has superior photocatalytic properties, which demonstrates its potential as a new photocatalyst material.