title: In Situ Grown TiO2 Nanospindles Facilitate the Formation of Holey Reduced Graphene Oxide by Photodegradation.
abstract: Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanostructures and TiO2/graphene nanocomposites are intensively studied materials for energy conversion, energy storage, and organic contaminant photodegradation. However, for TiO2/graphene composites, impermeability across the graphitic basal plane for electrolytes, metal ions, and gas molecules hinders their practical applications. Herein we report a simple, environmentally friendly synthetic route for mesoporous anatase TiO2 nanospindles, and successfully apply this method to obtain in situ grown TiO2 nanospindles/graphene oxide composite. After a thermal reduction at 400 °C, holes are created in the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets through a photocatalytic oxidation mechanism. The formation of holes in RGO is promoted by photogenerated hydroxyl radicals that oxidize and subsequently decarboxylate the graphitic surface of RGO. The proposed mechanism was supported by photocatalytic electrochemical properties of the nanomaterials. The resulting TiO2/holey RGO composites may overcome the original impermeability of graphene sheets and find applications in catalysis, energy conversion/storage devices, and sensors.
authors.affiliation: School of Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology , Ganzhou 341000, China.|Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States.|CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guangzhou 510640, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Guiming
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guangzhou 510640, China.
authors.forename: Xueqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Star
mesh_terms: D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: C009495:titanium dioxide; D006108:Graphite; D014025:Titanium
keywords: carbon nanotubes; catalysis; graphene; oxidation; oxygen reduction reaction; titanium dioxide