Direct bandgap narrowing of TiO2/MoO3 heterostructure composites for enhanced solar-driven photocatalytic activity

TiO2 nanobelts/MoO3 nanosheets (TM) heterostructure composites have been synthesized via an in-situ growth method in which the TiO2–MoS2 was used as precursor. The whole fabrication process involved the preparation of MoS2 nanoparticles modified TiO2 nanobelts (TiO2 Nbs) and subsequently transformation of the MoS2 to MoO3 nanosheets. The properties of TM were characterized by XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, EDX, DRS, FT-IR, XPS and PL, respectively. The photocatalytic activity of TM was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (Rh B) aqueous solution under simulated sunlight irradiation and its photoabsorption energy (PE, the energy required to excite valence band electrons of TiO2 nanobelts to conduction band states of MoO3 nanosheets (MoO3)) properties are related to the physical and chemical interaction between TiO2 Nbs and MoO3. The experimental results showed that TM exhibited a much better photocatalytic activity than that of pure TiO2, and showed an excellent recyclability property for its photocatalytic applications.