Epitaxy of Radial High-Energy-Facetted Ultrathin TiO2 Nanosheets onto Nanowires for Enhanced Photoreactivities

Rational design and construction of novel nanostructures with outstanding functions, and investigation on the relationship between their structures and properties have continuously been intriguing but are still challenging now. In this work, 1D TiO2(B) hierarchitectures with epitaxial {100} and {010} high-energy-facetted ultrathin 2D nanosheets that are parallel to the c -axis are demonstrated for the fi rst time. These hierarchitectures show much improved photochemical properties as compared with the nanoparticles and nanowires as well as the physical mixture of nanosheets and nanowires. These include photodegradation of methyl orange and water splitting, due to the remarkably increased surface area and active sites, and enhanced separation and transport of charge carriers. The fi ndings reported here may inspire the engineering of highly active nanostructures for energy and environment related applications.