Visible light photocatalytic activity of rutile TiO2 fiber clusters in the degradation of terephthalic acid

Abstract

Rutile TiO 2 nanoparticles, in different structural and morphological properties, were produced by the hydrolysis of titanium tetrachloride in a highly acidic reaction media at moderate temperatures without calcination. Their photocatalytic activities were investigated in the liquid-phase degradation of terephthalic acid under visible light illumination. The parameters, which are the concentration of the titanium tetrachloride solution (0.1-1 M) and reaction temperature (60-95°C), effective on the properties of the particles, and their photocatalytic performances, were investigated. The XRD patterns indicated a pure rutile crystal structure at moderate temperatures without need of calcination. The FEGSEM images showed the formation of flower-, pinecone-, and sphere-like clusters consisting of interconnected nanofibers. The N 2 adsorption-desorption isotherms pointed out the microporous structure of the clusters. Band gap energies were found to be varying between 3.02 and 3.08 eV due to the well-developed rutile crystallite structure. Systematic studies elucidated that the optimum reactant concentration and reaction temperature are 0.5 M TiCl 4 and 95°C, respectively. The rutile clusters synthesized at the optimum reaction conditions exhibited 99 % of the photocatalytic degradation of TPA under visible light illumination at shorter irradiation times compared with commercial P25 TiO 2 .

Clinoptilolite supported rutile TiO2 composites: Synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic activity on the degradation of terephthalic acid

“…The TiO 2 /clinoptilolite composites were synthesized by the acid hydrolysis of TiCl 4 on the clinoptilolite. The procedure reported by Yener and Helvacı [4,32] was followed for synthesis. Briefly, the aqueous solution of TiCl 4 (0.5 M) was prepared using HCl (3 M) to control the fast hydrolysis reaction of the TiCl 4 in water.…”