Electromigration with enhanced green emission in the titanium dioxide nanotube/graphene composite

One of the most studied photoluminescence emission peaks of anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) is green, located at about 520 nm, which is assigned to the radiative recombination between a mobile electron in the conduction band and oxygen vacancy defect as a trapped hole in the bandgap. Composite materials of TiO2 with graphene are normally shown by the gradual quenching of photoluminescence intensity as a result of carrier lifetime extension, which is important to enhance photocatalytic activity. Herein we report an observation of the intensity enhancement of the green PL emission in a composite TiO2 nanotube (TNT) and graphene produced through facile hydrothermal synthesis. The heterojunction formation of graphene and TNT makes the excited photoelectrons easy to diffuse from TNT to graphene. Hence, the recombination rate of mobile electrons in graphene and trapped holes located on the nanotube surface is enhanced due to the high mobility of electrons in graphene. •A facial hydrothermal systhesis of titanium dioxide nanotube (TNT) and graphene composite.•The nanohybridization formation between graphene and TNT was revealed by XRD and Raman shift.•The intensity of the green photoluminescence emission at 530 nm was considerably increased in the composite.•The electromigration between graphene and TNT is a reason for the high green emission intensity.