Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of rutile/anatase TiO2 heterojunction nanoflowers

• Rutile/anatase TiO2 heterojunction nanoflowers were successfully prepared.
• The samples exhibit notably enhanced photocatalytic activity.
• The samples with the assist of H2O2 present enhanced photocatalytic activity.

Rutile/anatase TiO2 heterojunction nanoflowers were prepared via a facile one-step hydrothermal approach using titanium tetrachloride and urea as the raw materials, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as the template. The prepared TiO2 nanoflowers were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and BET analyses. The photocatalytic performance of the as-prepared TiO2 samples for methyl blue degradation under simulated solar light was investigated. TiO2 heterojunction nanoflowers with mixed rutile/anatase phase (prepared with 3 mmol CTAB) give the highest photocatalytic activity. In addition, TiO2 nanoflowers show excellent stability after 9 cycles under the same conditions. These results suggested that the mixed phase anatase/rutile TiO2 heterojunction nanoflowers have great potential for the future photodegradation of real dye waste water.

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