Heterojunction of FeTiO3 Nanodisc and TiO2 Nanoparticle for a Novel Visible Light Photocatalyst

For the first time, a single crystalline FeTiO3 nanodisc in the ilmenite phase has been synthesized by a hydrothermal reaction at 220 degrees C. The prepared FeTiO3 was a hexagonal disk-like structure with an average diameter of similar to 400 nm arid a thickness of similar to 70 nm, while its hexagonal face was oriented in (001) plane and grown to (110) direction. The heterojunction structure was formed between the as-prepared FeTiO3 nanodisc and Degussa P25 with an average particle size of similar to 25 nm by employing maleic acid as an organic linker. The prepared FcTiO(3)/TiO2 Coupled at a nanoscale demonstrated greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity in removing 2-propanol and evolving CO2 in gas phase under visible light irradiation (lambda >= 420 nm). Its degradation constant (k) in removing 2-piopanol was similar to 25 times that of Degussa P25, which suggests that its catalytic efficiency is comparable to that of a typical N-doped TiO2. The remarkable photocatalytic activity of FeTiO3/TiO2 Could be explained by the intersemiconductor hole-transfer mechanism caused by the unique relative band positions of these two semiconductors.