Fullerene C 70 decorated TiO 2 nanowires for visible-light-responsive photocatalyst

In this study, we have synthesized C 60 and C 70 -modified TiO 2 nanowire (NW) through interfacial chemical bonding. The results indicate that the fullerenes (C 60 and C 70 derivatives) can act as sinks for photogenerated electrons in TiO 2 , while the fullerene/TiO 2 is illuminated under ultraviolet (UV) light. Therefore, in comparison to the pure TiO 2 NWs, the modified TiO 2 NWs display a higher photocatalytic activity under UV irradiation. Moreover, the fullerenes also can function as a sensitizer to TiO 2 which expand the utilization of solar light from UV to visible light. The results reveal that the C 70 /TiO 2 NWs show a significant photocatalytic activity for degradation of methylene blue (MB) in visible light region. To better understand the mechanism responsible for the effect of fullerenes on the photocatalytic properties of TiO 2 , the electron only devices and photoelectrochemical cells based on fullerenes/TiO 2 are also fabricated and evaluated.