Fabrication, characterization, and photocatalytic activity of double-layer TiO2 nanosheet films

The double-layer TiO2 nanosheet films have been deposited on Si substrate by a liquid-phase deposition method using ZnO nanosheets as the template. The initial morphology of the ZnO nanosheet templates is maintained after the TiO2 deposition. The TiO2 nanosheets are uniformly distributed widely and grown perpendicularly to the substrate. The TiO2 nanosheets are of anatase phase with the outside thickness of ~ 220–380 nm. The growth mechanism for the formation of TiO2 nanosheet films is investigated. Experimentally, it shows that the TiO2 nanosheet films have highly photocatalytic activities for the decomposition of azo dye C. I. reactive yellow 15.

► Double-layer TiO2 nanosheet films were fabricated by a liquid-phase deposition.
► ZnO nanosheet was used as the template to realize anatase TiO2 nanosheet film.
► TiO2 nanosheets have highly photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of RY15.