TiO2/Cyclodextrin Hybrid Structure with Efficient Photocatalytic Water Splitting

Siyao Guo1,2

Jun Shang1,2

Tiejun Zhao1,2

Dongshuai Hou 1, 2, Email

Zuquan Jin 1, 2

Guoxing Sun 1, 3, Email

1 School of Civil Engineering, Qingdao Technological University, Qingdao 266033, China

2 Collaborative Innovation Center of Engineering Construction and Safety in Shandong Blue Economic Zone, Qingdao 266033, China

3 Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China

Abstract

A novel TiO2/β-cyclodextrin (TiO2/β-CD) organic-inorganic hybrid nano-material with alveolate structure is fabricated using a facile one-step strategy. The alveolate TiO2/β-CD hybrid nano-material exhibits outstanding photocatalytic activity and recyclability on photocatalytic water splitting. The production of H2 evolution of TiO2/β-CD hybrid reaches to 5800 μmolg-1 after 8 h without noble metal. Meanwhile, the recyclability of the TiO2/β-CD photocatalyst is found to be no obvious decrease with the H2 generation after third successive runs. The formation of the oxygen defects occurred on coordinatively unsaturated Ti-sites by the introduction of β-CD at the outer surface of TiO2 could be the predominant active species in the photocatalytic system. Due to the alveolate heterogeneous structure of TiO2/β-CD hybrid play a role as “channel” for photocatalytic activity. The channel can capture more electrons and light, provides a larger area for reaction. This work provides a promising approach to construct noble metal-free and more stabilized organic-inorganic nanocomposite photocatalysts applied in the photocatalytic water splitting.

TiO2/Cyclodextrin Hybrid Structure with Efficient Photocatalytic Water Splitting