A facile route was adopted to synthesize heterostructured WO3/TiO2 photocatalysts from wood fibers through a two-steps hydrothermal method and a calcination process. The prepared WO3/TiO2-wood fibers were used as photocatalysts under UV irradiation for photodegradation of rhodamine B, methylene blue and methyl orange. In calcination process, the wood fibers acted as carbon substrates to prepare the WO3/TiO2 photocatalysts with high surface area and unique morphology. Thus, the significant enhanced photodegradation efficiency of the organic pollutants with the WO3/TiO2-wood fibers under UV irradiation was obtained. The photodegradation rates are measured which confirms the highest performance of the WO3/TiO2-wood fibers after calcination in comparison to the TiO2-wood fibers after calcination and the pure WO3/TiO2 after calcination. Moreover, the photodegradation efficiency of the WO3/TiO2-wood fibers after calcination under visible light is high. Our results demonstrated that the WO3/TiO2-wood fibers after calcination are a promising candidate for wastewater treatment in practical application.

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How to protect the sensitivity of gas sensing system in the case of persistent leakage in a closed environment? The aim of this study is to combine the gas sensing property of semiconductor with its photocatalytic performance, which may be viable alternative to give recovery time to gas sensors in the closed environment. By using Papilioparis butterfly wings as biotemplates, we herein demonstrate a facile way to synthesize biomass carbon doped TiO 2 with the replication of quasi-honeycomb scales structures, which is beneficial to highest specific area (85.27 m 2 •g −1 ) in comparison with pure TiO 2 and Ag-doped TiO 2 . The biomorphic C/TiO 2 exhibit not only excellent responses to benzene and dimethylbenzene vapors at 300 °C operating temperature superior to that of Ag-doped TiO 2 , but also have excellent sensitivity to visible light. Furthermore, the multifunctional biomorphic C/TiO 2 , used as safe concentration detectors, could determine vapors concentrations by gas sensing response values. Adopting illuminating the photocatalysts in the closed environment, the responses to dimethylbenzene and benzene have almost no changes along with continuous vapors injection. This work shows a good example for exploring the integrated application of semiconductor materials and improving the gas sensors lifetime.

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