UV-visible-light-activated photocatalysts based on Bi2O3/Bi4Ti3O12/TiO2 double-heterostructured TiO2 nanobelts

Surface engineering of TiO2 nanobelts by the controlled assembly of functional heterostructures represents an effective approach for the synthesis of high-performance photocatalysts. In this study, we prepared a novel Bi2O3/Bi4Ti3O12/TiO2 double-heterostructured nanobelt by depositing bismuth hydroxide onto the TiO2 nanobelt surface. A thermal annealing treatment led to the formation of a Bi4Ti3O12 interlayer that functioned as a bridge to link Bi2O3 and TiO2. The double-heterostructured TiO2 nanobelts exhibited better UV light photocatalytic performance than commercial P25. Importantly, the photocatalytic activity in the visible range was markedly better than that of Bi2O3 and Bi2O3/TiO2 heterostructured TiO2 nanobelts. The enhanced performance was accounted for by the material band structures where the matching was improved by the unique interlayer.