Synergistic Integration of TiO2 Nanorods with Carbon Cloth for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution and Wastewater Remediation

The immobilization of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanostructures on conductive supports offers a promising strategy to overcome the intrinsic limitations of a wide band gap, poor visible-light absorption, and rapid charge recombination in photocatalysis. Herein, a rutile TiO2 nanorods (TiO2NRs) array was directly grown on carbon cloth (CC) via a hydrothermal method by using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) seed solutions of 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 M, designated as TiO2NR0.1/CC, TiO2NR0.3/CC, and TiO2NR0.5/CC, respectively. Structural analysis confirmed that the TiO2 NRs array is vertically aligned, and phase=pure rutile NRs strongly adhered to CC. The optical characterization revealed broadened absorption in the visible wavelength region and progressive band gap narrowing with the increasing seeding concentration. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed pronounced quenching in the fabricated TiO2NRs/CC samples, especially with TiO2NR0.3/CC exhibiting the lowest PL intensity, indicating suppressed charge recombination. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy further demonstrated reduced charge transfer resistance, and TiO2NR0.3/CC achieved the most efficient electron transport kinetics. Photocatalytic tests at λ ≥ 400 nm irradiation confirmed the enhanced hydrogen evolution performance of TiO2NR0.3/CC. The hydrogen yield of 2.66 mmol h−1 g−1 of TiO2NR0.3/CC was 4.03-fold higher than that of TiO2NRs (0.66 mmol h−1 g−1), along with excellent cyclic stability across three runs. Additionally, TiO2NR0.3/CC achieved 90.2% degradation of methylene blue within 60 min, with a kinetic constant of 0.0332 min−1 and minimal activity loss after three cycles. These results highlight the synergistic integration of TiO2 NRs with CC in achieving a durable, recyclable, and efficient photocatalytic platform for sustainable hydrogen generation and wastewater remediation.