Synthesis and Photocatalytic Activity of Single Crystal Titanate: Part-1

Abstract

Single crystal TiO₂ nanotubes (TNTs) were prepared using modified hydrothermal method by treatment of prepared TiO₂ with NaOH aqueous solution and characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, BET surface area analysis, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR and UV–vis/DR spectroscopy. Detailed study for the effect of calcinations temperature on the morphology, textural properties, adsorption amount and photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanotubes was performed. The results showed that the calcinations temperature remarkably altered the phase composition. HRTEM showed that the high-purity nanotubes can be produced through the hydrothermal treatment of TiO₂, calcinated at 250 ?C.  It was found that the obtained high-purity TNTs have outer diameter of the tubular structures around 15 nm and the length is around 70 nm, the wall of nanotube is 2 layers in one side whereas it is 3 layers in another side and the interlayer spacing is about 1–1.5 nm. The prepared TiO₂ nanotubes show enhanced catalytic activity in photocatalytic phenol degradation compared with TiO2 nanoparticles which show lower catalytic activities.

Keywords: Titanate, Single Crystal, hydrothermal method