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 Ti 3 C 2 /TiO 2 nanowires ((Ti 3 C 2 /TiO 2 )@rGO) was successfully synthesized to remove hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and Rhodamine B (RhB) from wastewater. Among the prepared photocatalysts, (Ti 3 C 2 /TiO 2 )@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 (Ti 3 C 2 /TiO 2 )@rGO. Ti 3 C 2 gathered the stimulated electrons originated from TiO 2 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.