Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of Si-doped TiO2 nanotube/SnS hybrids for environmental decontamination

Abstract

Heterostructures with nanoscale sizes have great superiorities in photocatalytic environment decontaminant because of their efficient interface charge transfer and great surface area. This work reports the facile fabrication of nano-tubular TiO2 and Si-doped TiO2 (NTs) hybridizing SnS nanocrystallites and their high-efficient photocatalytic activity. The modified hydrothermal processes were used to synthesize the nanotubes. A chemical bath deposition process was used to hybridize SnS nanocrystallines with the nanotubes. The fabricated nanostructures show wide light absorption in the UV-visible region. The SBET, light absorption, hydrophilicity, and photo-induced super hydrophilicity were enhanced by Si-doping and SnS modification. Moreover, high-efficient interface charge transfer was produced after the SnS modification and further enhanced by the Si doping because of band structure modulation. Thus, the Si-doped TiO2 nanotubes/SnS heterostructures showed remarkably enhanced photocatalytic and Fenton-like photocatalytic activity in dye wastewater treatment than the TiO2 NTs. This work suggests potential materials and their facile fabrication process for the photocatalytic application of environmental decontamination.