RGO-wrapped Ti3C2/TiO2 nanowires as a highly efficient photocatalyst for simultaneous reduction of Cr(VI) and degradation of RhB under visible light irradiation

A novel photocatalyst of rGO-wrapped Ti3C2/TiO2 nanowires ((Ti3C2/TiO2)@rGO) was successfully synthesized to remove hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and Rhodamine B (RhB) from wastewater. Among the prepared photocatalysts, (Ti3C2/TiO2)@rGO-15 showed the highest photocatalytic activity in both single and mixed pollutant solutions. The excellent photocatalytic activity was ascribed to the enhanced separation efficiency of e- and h+ resulted from the Schottky barrier established in (Ti3C2/TiO2)@rGO. Ti3C2 gathered the stimulated electrons originated from TiO2 and further transferred them to rGO, thus enhancing the separation efficiency of e- and h+. Furthermore, different scavengers were employed to determine the reactive species involved in the photocatalytic reaction system. This work may provide a promising way to promote the separation efficiency of e- and h+ via appropriate incorporation of co-catalyst.