One-step synthesis of Ceria/Ti3C2 nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic activity

In this study, CeO2/Ti3C2 nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method with well-dispersed CeO2 nano-rods on Ti3C2 sheets. The synthetic strategy is based on the electrostatic attraction. The structure and morphology of as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, TEM and SEM. The photocatalytic results showed that nanocomposites exhibited enhanced photo catalytic activity for the photodegradation of Rhodamine B under UV-light irradiation compared with pure CeO2 semiconductors and Ti3C2. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the enhanced utilization of solar energy. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V.