Fabrication and self-cleaning properties of reduced graphene oxide/TiO2:Nd nanohybrid thin films

Self-cleaning is an important technique for environmental purification. In this work, a series of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-TiO2:Nd nanohybrid films were deposited and characterized by various analysis techniques. The rGO incorporation and Nd doping obviously enhanced the self-cleaning properties including photocatalytic activity, photo-induced superhydrophilicity, and conductivity of the TiO2 film. The effect of Nd content and rGO proportion on the self-cleaning properties was also studied. The efficient synergistic effect of rGO and Nd on the self-cleaning properties was observed and mainly ascribed to interface-induced effect. The measurement of band energy level and optical conductivity confirmed the interface-induced effect.