Graphitic-C₃N₄ quantum dots decorated {001}-faceted TiO₂ nanosheets as a 0D/2D composite with enhanced solar photocatalytic activity

Zero-dimensional (0D)/two-dimensional (2D) heterojunctions have attracted great attention in photocatalysis due to their superior interfacial effects. In this work, 0D g-C₃N₄ quantum dots (CNQDs) were firstly used to modify {001}-faceted 2D TiO₂ nanosheets by a simple solvothermal method. During the controlled growth of TiO₂ nanosheets with exposed reactive {001} facets, the CNQDs can be simultaneously assembled on the surface of TiO₂ nanosheets in a highly dispersive way. The 0D/2D composite containing only 0.5% of CNQDs shows the optimized solar photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B and 4-chlorophenol. More importantly, the 0D/2D composite exhibits a better solar photocatalytic activity than the bulk g-C₃N₄/TiO₂ nanosheets composite. This improvement can be ascribed to the close interfacial contact and strong interaction between the highly dispersed CNQDs and the TiO₂ nanosheets, which could lead to efficient separation of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs, provide more catalytic active sites, and enhance the absorption of solar light. The 0D/2D composite also shows good stability for its practical applications.