Facile Preparation of TiO₂ Nanoclusters on Graphene Templates for Photodegradation of Organic Compounds

Graphene is the most attractive carbon-based material at present and attracting increasing attention as promising candidates for applications in numerous areas, because of its extraordinary chemical, thermal and mechanical properties. In this paper, we discussed an innovative and simple method to synthesize titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoclusters, using graphene as a mid-step template not as a component of final product. Using this method, the graphene was firstly fully coated with TiO₂ nanoparticles by the thermal decomposition of titanium (IV) isopropoxide in a supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) at 200°C; the developed TiO₂/graphene composites then were heated in an oxygen atmosphere. Eventually the TiO₂ nanoclusters were obtained. The prepared TiO₂ nanoclusters showed irregular features with high surface coverage, providing promises in a wide range of applications, especially for photo-degradation of organic compounds in aqueous solution under the radiation of UV-light.