Photoelectricity Properties In TiO₂/Carbon Nanotube Composites

Due to its large band gap energy,TiO₂only can absorb UV light, which isless than5%in solar spectrum. Therefore, the study on the TiO₂photocatalystwith visible light-responsive property is the most challenging subject in thefield of photocatalysis. In this paper, CNTs/TiO₂composites were generated.Our preliminary investigation also used dopping C, N to enhance thephotocatalytic activity of TiO₂with plasma doping system. CNTs in thecomposites were to improve the photocatalytic performance by enhancing theelectron mobility. Through the N, C doping modification of titanium dioxideincrease light ring scope, improving electronic transition probability.The CNTs were prepared through the chemical vapor deposition method.The CNTs were treated with oxygen plasma and soaked in H2SO4foracidification. After acidification the CNTs were treated with oxygen plasmaagain and exposed to air to absorb moisture. The TiO₂-CNTs namocompositeswere successfully fabricated by TiCl4hydrolyse on the surface of CNTs. TheTiO₂/CNTs nanocomposites were annealing with different temperature usingthe tube furnace, which was purged with Ar. Then, dopping C, N enhances thephotocatalytic activity of TiO₂with microwave plasma doping system fordifferent treatment conditions.The result of CNTs with plasma modified were characterized by FT-IRspectroscopy.TiO₂/CNTs nanocomposites’ nanostructures and microstructureswere characterized by SEM、TME、X-ray、XPS and UV-Dis. Our preliminaryinvestigation also indicates that dopping C, N enhances the photocatalyticactivity of TiO₂with plasma doping system and the prepared TiO₂/CNTs aresufficiently active and robust for photocatalytic degradation of organiccompounds. The sample with appropriatie CNTs content had betterphotocatalytic performance than the TiO₂.With the same temperature of annealing, the composites with C doping have better catalytic performance inthe visible light than N doping.Through the preparation CNTs/TiO₂/conductive plastic compsiteselectrode, the photoelectric performance of different samples were studied.It could be found that photocurrent of the TiO₂was improved by the testsof IV under the existence of CNTs, which was consistent with the result of thephotocatalytic efficiency.