Preparation and investigation of flower-like carbon-doped titanium dioxide with visible light responsible

The cellulose-based flower-like carbon-doped TiO2 particles were prepared by the one-step hydrothermal method, which was followed by high-temperature calcination. The morphology and composition of the samples were studied using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The flower-like carbon-doped TiO2 demonstrated a high absorption in the visible spectrum region, which originated from the combination of a layered solid structure and a narrow bandgap (Eg = 2.17 eV). The analysis of UV–Visible absorption spectra, photoluminescence spectra, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed a high photocatalytic activity due to faster charge transfer in the visible region and a higher amount of ·O2−. The synergistic effect of the flower structure and carbon doping can significantly improve the photocatalytic activity.