Nanotube confinement-induced g-C3N4/TiO2 nanorods with rich oxygen vacancies for enhanced photocatalytic water decontamination

Construction of semiconductor heterojunctions is an efficient strategy to improve photo-induced charges separation and thus enhance photocatalytic activities. Herein, g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 heterostructures were prepared via a facile thermal procedure, with TiO 2 nanorods as matrix and g-C 3 N 4 as visible-light sensitizer. Heterojunctions formed while precursors cyanamide polymerized to g-C 3 N 4 and protonated titanate nanotube (H-TNTs) dehydrated and shrinked to TiO 2 nanorods. Notably, confined polymerization of g-C 3 N 4 occurred at both external surface and internal space of H-TNTs with the assistant of vacuum treatment, while NH 3 released from cyanamide decomposition yielded abundant oxygen vacancies (V O ) in TiO 2 nanorods. Compared with pristine TiO 2 nanorods, the heterostructured g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 nanorods possess 1.7 times more active in photocatalytic removal of organic dye Orange II. A mechanism was proposed for heterostructured g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 nanorods, being attributed to synergistic increasing light harvesting by V O and charges separation by heterojunctions.