Directly assembled quantum dots on one dimension ordered TiO 2 nanostructure in aqueous solution for improving photocatalytic activity

One dimension (1D) ordered titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanostructured photocatalysts sensitized by quantum dots (QDs) are fabricated. Their morphologies, crystal structures and photocatalytic properties are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-vis-NIR) absorption spectroscopy, respectively. Compared with the original TiO 2 nanostructure, the nanostructured TiO 2 sensitized by QDs exhibits a good photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange (MO). The QDs with core-shell structure can reduce the photocatalytic ability due to the higher potential barrier of carrier transport in ZnS shell layer. The results indicate that the proposed photocatalyst shows promising potential for the application in organic dye degradation.