TiO{sub 2} nanobelts with a uniform coating of g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} as a highly effective heterostructure for enhanced photocatalytic activities

A novel g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}/TiO{sub 2} nanobelt (NB) heterostructure was successfully designed and prepared. The as-prepared g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}/TiO{sub 2} NB heterostructure exhibited high photocatalytic activity not only in the photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) but also in photocatalytic H{sub 2} production. The g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}/TiO{sub 2} NB heterostructure with a mass ratio of 1:1 demonstrated the best performance in the photodegradation of RhB, whereas a mass ratio of 3:1 demonstrated the highest H{sub 2} production rate of 46.6 μmol h{sup −1} in photocatalytic H{sub 2} production. We conclude that the synergistic effect between g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} and TiO{sub 2} NBs promotes the photogenerated carrier separation in space. This valuable insight into the rational architectural design of nanostructure-based photocatalysts is expected to shed light on other photocatalytic reaction systems in the future. - Graphical abstract: A novel strategy to fabricate the g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}/TiO{sub 2} nanobelt (NB) heterostructures was reported. The g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}/TiO{sub 2} NB heterostructures exhibited highly effective photocatalytic activities for photodegradation of Rhodamine B and H{sub 2} production. - Highlights: • A novel strategy to fabricate the g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4}/TiO{sub 2} NB heterostructures was reported. • The heterostructure exhibited high catalytic activity in photodegradation of RhB. • The heterostructure showed good H{sub 2} productivity in photocatalytic water splitting. • The synergistic effect between g-C{sub 3}N{sub 4} and TiO{sub 2} NBs are important. • This study shows that the heterostructure can be an effective photocatalyst.