Synthesis of anatase titania-carbon nanotubes nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic activity through a nanocoating-hydrothermal process

Anatase TiO2 nanoparticles were covalently anchored onto acid-treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) through a nanocoating-hydrothermal process to obtain TiO2-MWNTs nanocomposites. The composition and structural properties of the nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, BET, TG, TEM, HRTEM, EDX, XPS, and FTIR, and the formation of ester-bond linkage between TiO2 nanoparticles and MWNTs was demonstrated. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO2-MWNTs nanocomposites was probed by photodegradation reaction of methylene blue under visible-light irradiation.