Synthesis of Hierarchical TiO₂–C₃N₄ Hybrid Microspheres with Enhanced Photocatalytic and Photovoltaic Activities by Maximizing the Synergistic Effect

Abstract

Abstract To maximize the synergistic effect between the components in a TiO 2 –C 3 N 4 hybrid, strongly heterostructured three‐dimensional (3D) porous TiO 2 –C 3 N 4 microspheres with a hierarchical nano/microstructure are developed by a solvothermal method and used as photocatalysts for organic waste degradation and as photoanodes for dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), showing superior photoactivity. The rich heterojunctions and strong interfacial connections between TiO 2 and C 3 N 4 greatly improve the separation efficiency of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs. This hybrid exhibits superior photocatalytic activity compared to TiO 2 –C 3 N 4 composites prepared by traditional physical mixing and reported post‐synthesis methods. A DSSC prepared with this hybrid as the photoanode displays superior or comparable photoelectric efficiency to those of the best reported photoanodes. A possible mechanism for the improved photoactivity of this hybrid is proposed. This strongly heterostructured TiO 2 –C 3 N 4 hierarchical microspherical material is expected to provide a good foundation for the design and synthesis of advanced materials for photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications.