Design and synthesis of TiO₂/C nanosheets with a directional cascade carrier transfer

Directed transfer of carriers, akin to excited charges in photosynthesis, in semiconductors by structural design is challenging. Here, TiO₂ nanosheets with interlayered sp2 carbon and titanium vacancies are obtained by low-temperature controlled oxidation calcination. The directed transfer of carriers from the excited position to Ti-vacancies to interlayered carbon is investigated and proven to greatly increase the charge transport efficiency. The TiO₂/C obtained demonstrates excellent photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical activity and significant lithium/sodium ion storage performance. Further theoretical calculations reveal that the directional excited position/Ti-vacancies/interlayered carbon facilitate the spatial inside-out cascade electron transfer, resulting in high charge transfer kinetics.