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One‐Step Fabrication and High Photocatalytic Activity of Porous TiO 2 Hollow Aggregates by Using a Low‐Temperature Hydrothermal Method Without Templates
Author(s) -
Liu Zhaoyang,
Sun Darren D.,
Guo Peng,
Leckie James O.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.200601092
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , materials science , mesoporous material , rhodamine b , chemical engineering , hydrothermal circulation , porosity , scanning electron microscope , adsorption , band gap , diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , spectroscopy , nanotechnology , catalysis , chemistry , composite material , organic chemistry , optoelectronics , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Porous TiO 2 hollow aggregates have been synthesized on a large scale by means of a simple hydrothermal method without using any templates. The as‐prepared products were characterized by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy, XRD, TEM, nitrogen adsorption, UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the aggregates was demonstrated through the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B. Structural characterization indicates that the porous TiO 2 aggregates are 500–800 nm in diameter and display mesoporous structure. The average pore sizes and BET surface areas of the aggregates are 12 nm and 168 m 2 g −1 , respectively. Optical adsorption investigations show that the aggregates possess an optical band‐gap energy of 3.36 eV. The as‐prepared products were substantially more effective photocatalysts than the commercially available photocatalyst P25. The dye degradation rate of the porous TiO 2 hollow aggregates is more than twice that of P25. The high photoactivities of the aggregates can be attributed to the combined effects of several factors, namely, large surface areas, the existence of mesopores, and the high band‐gap energy. In addition, the as‐prepared products can be easily recycled.