Reduced graphene oxide-titanate hybrids: Morphologic evolution by alkali-solvothermal treatment and applications in water purification

The reduced graphene oxide-titanate (RGO-Ti) hybrids were fabricated by incorporating spherical TiO2 nanoparticles with graphene oxide (GO) layers in aqueous NaOH solution following by the solvothermal treatment. The morphologic evolution of RGO-Ti hybrid by varying alkali-solvothermal temperatures has been first investigated. The titanate nanosheets peeled off, folded and scrolled into tubular structure; and eventually, cracked and destroyed to be ribbon-like shape. The chemical interaction and attachment of low-dimensional titanate onto RGO layers and the reverse order were elucidated by X-ray photoelectron spectra. The hybrids in sheet and tubular titanate structures possessed larger surface areas (>350 m(2)/g) and higher pore volumes (>1 cm(3)/g) than the other. The presence of RGO sheets as a twodimensional (2D) platform for the deposition of titanate significantly promoted much better adsorptivity of dye contaminants compared to pure materials. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.