Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of titania microspheres with hierarchical structures

Journal Article · Tue Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Materials Research Bulletin

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MATERRESBULL.2010.12.013· OSTI ID:22210025

Cheng, Qian-Qian; Cao, Ying ^[1]; Yang, Lin ^[1]; Zhang, Pei-Pei; Wang, Kui; Wang, Hua-Jie ^[1]

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1. College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Henan Normal University, 46 East of Construction Road, Xinxiang 453007 (China)

Research highlights: {yields} Lauryl alcohol directs the formation of titania with hierarchical structures. {yields} Hierarchical structures endow the higher specific area to titania. {yields} Titania had a higher photocatalytic activity than commercial Degussa P25. {yields} The synthesis process of the target product is low-cost. -- Abstract: A combined sol-gel and solvothermal process was introduced to fabricate the titania microspheres with hierarchical structures by using lauryl alcohol as the structure-directing agent. Scanning electron microscope, high-resolution transmission electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectrograph and powder X-ray powder diffraction indicated that the molar ratio of lauryl alcohol, water and tetra-n-butyl titanate was the key factor for the formation of the mono-dispersed titania with anatase phase and the optimal ratio was 1.2:4:1. The diameter of the end-product was 523 {+-} 74 nm and it was composed of smaller nanoparticles with about 6.8 nm size in diameter. Photocatalytic activity of the end-product was investigated by employing Rhodamine B and Methylene blue as the model compounds. The target microspheres exhibited the higher photocatalytic efficiency compared with commercial Degussa P25 titania and this result might be due to the hierarchical structures of microspheres according to the analysis of Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface areas.

• OSTI ID: 22210025
• Journal Information: Materials Research Bulletin, Vol. 46, Issue 3; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0025-5408
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ALCOHOLS
EFFICIENCY
FOURIER TRANSFORMATION
METHYLENE BLUE
MICROSPHERES
NANOSTRUCTURES
PHOTOCATALYSIS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SOL-GEL PROCESS
SPECIFIC SURFACE AREA
SYNTHESIS
TITANIUM OXIDES
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION