Photovoltaic and photocatalytic performance of anchored oxygen-deficient TiO2 nanoparticles on graphene oxide

We present a facile method to prepare a TiO2-graphene oxide hybrid material with improved photocatalytic and photovoltaic performance. We prepared oxygen-deficient TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) in an aqueous solution of graphene oxide (GO) by the arc-discharge method and then annealed at temperatures of 350-650 degrees C. This method unzips, reduces, and intercalates the GO sheets in titanium oxide NPs. Results show that GO sheets are decorated with oxygen-deficient TiO2 NPs, while the GO nanosheets are intercalated in NPs due to arc discharge. Raman spectroscopy confirms the GO reduction and its linkage with NPs through Ti-O-C bonds. The hybrid materials exhibit improved photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B up to 52% in 2 h. Our results in photovoltaic tests show improved power conversion efficiency of 8% with the I-SC and V-OC of 19.4 mAcm(-2) and 570 mV, respectively.