Facile Fabrication of C–TiO2 Nanocomposites with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Degradation of Tetracycline

Visible-lightdriven C–TiO2 nanocomposites were prepared via a simple calcination and acid etching process. The C–TiO2 nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution TEM. The results showed that TiO2 nanoparticles were combined with a porous carbon layer through surface C–O groups, which facilitates the strong interface interaction. The interface combination of nano-TiO2 and carbon material increases the specific surface area of nano-TiO2, widens the range of light response, and improves the efficiency of light-induced electron migration. The visible-light photocatalytic activity of the prepared photocatalyst was evaluated by the decomposition of tetracycline aqueous solution. Compared with that of pure TiO2, the photocatalytic activity of C–TiO2 nanocomposites was significantly improved. Furthermore, a possible photocatalytic mechanism was also tentatively proposed. This work can promote the development of active photocatalysts under solar light for the photodegradation of environmental pollutants.