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 mu mol h super(-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.