ReviewSynthesis, properties, and applications of black titanium dioxide nanomaterials

Photocatalysis has been regarded as one of best solutions to using the sunlight to produce hydrogen from water and to removing organic pollutants from the environment, and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanomaterials have been treated as the primary photocatalyst for these purposes. However, their large band gap has largely limited the activity to the UV region of the solar spectrum. The discovery of black TiO2 in 2011 has triggered world-wide research interests with new hope to overcome this problem. This review briefly summarizes the recent progresses of black TiO2 nanomaterials, including their synthesis, properties and applications, to provide a timely update and to inspire more ideas in the related research.