Explosive Synthesis of TiO2/rGO Composites and their Photocatalytic Properties

TiO2/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites were rapidly prepared via the explosive method using graphene oxide and Ti(OH)4 as raw materials. The effect of graphene oxide content on the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was investigated. Results show that during rapid heating ofthe sample, graphene oxide can undergo explosive reaction, which induced the simultaneous reduction of graphene oxide and the decomposition of Ti(OH)4. TiO2 nanorods with a diameter and alength of approximately 10 and 70 nm, respectively, were loaded onto the graphene nanosheets. TiO2/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites exhibited an excellent photocatalytic performance. Under simulated sunlight irradiation, they exhibited the best photocatalytic activity and can degrade 99.7% methylene blue (40 mg/L) within 60 min.