Hybridizing photoactive zeolites with graphene: A powerful strategy towards superior photocatalytic properties

Research on zeolitic materials has recently taken off in a new direction, driven by the desire to design nanoscale hierarchical architectures with specific chemical functionalities. From both, a scientific and industrial perspective, photoactive zeolites, such as titanosilicates (TS-1), are among the most interesting candidates and research has focused on maximising their photocatalytic performance by means of nanostructuring and electronic modification. In this work, we employ graphene to create a new class of photocatalysts that truly advances semi-conductor photocatalysis to its next generation. We demonstrate that the photocatalytic activity of TS-1 for the degradation of organic dyes can be enhanced through graphene by more than 25 times. Responsible for this remarkable improvement are (1) a more efficient electron-hole separation via interfacial charge transfer processes and (2) surprising beneficial effects of graphene on the crystal morphology, the porosity and the adsorption behaviour of the zeolite. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry