Synthesis of Mixed-Phase TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Nanopowders Using Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet Driven by Dual-Frequency Power Sources

Mixed-phase TiO₂ nanopowders with different ratios of anatase and rutile have been successfully synthesized using atmospheric pressure plasma jet driven by dual-frequency power sources. The crystal structures of the TiO₂ nanopowders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, SAED, HRTEM, and Raman shift spectroscopy. These results indicated that samples possessed anatase and rutile structure, in addition, the crystallinity of the TiO₂ nanopowders increased and the chlorine contamination decreased with discharge RF power increasing. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO₂ nanopowders was evaluated by decomposition methylene blue solution. The TiO₂ nanopowders which were produced at the discharge RF power of 110 W had the highest photocatalytic activity. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) was used to detect various excited species in the plasma jet. The results indicate that the various RF power significantly changes the intensities of emission lines (Ar, Ar⁺, Ti, Ti⁺, Ti²⁺, Ti³⁺ and O), which results in the TiO₂ nanopowders a mixture of anatase and rutile phases. The nonequilibrium chemical composition could be formed in one step without anneal. It may have potential applications for synthesizing nanosized particles of high crystallinity by reactive nonthermal plasma processing.     

The influence of titanium dioxide phase composition on dyes photocatalysis

A comparative study of TiO₂ powders prepared by sol–gel methods is presented. Titanium tetraisopropoxide was used as the precursor for the sol–gel processes. The effects of the annealing treatment on phase, crystallite size, porosity and photodegradation of dyes (methyl orange and methylene blue) were studied. The phase structure, microstructure and surface properties of the films were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The X-ray diffraction was used for crystal phase identification, for the accurate estimation of the anatase–rutile ratio and for the crystallite size evaluation of each polymorph in the samples. It was found that the only TiO₂ anatase phase of the synthesized TiO₂ develops below 500 °C, between 600 and 800 °C the anatase coexist with rutile and above 800 °C only the rutile phase was found in the samples. Attention has been paid not only to crystal structures, but also to the porosity, the particle size and the photocatalytic properties. However, the annealing temperature was found to have significant influence on the photocatalytic properties. Different TiO₂ doctor blade thin films were obtained mixing the sol gel powder (100% anatase) and TiO₂ Aldrich with TiO₂ Degussa P25. The surfactant (Triton X100 or sodium dodecyl sulfate) affects the packing density of the particles during deposition and the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the dyes. The photocatalytic degradation kinetics of methyl orange and methylene blue using TiO₂ thin film were investigated.     

A sol–gel combustion synthesis method for TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> powders with enhanced photocatalytic activity

TiO₂ photocatalytic powders were synthesized by a sol–gel combustion synthesis method in which urea was used as the fuel and titanyl nitrate was used as the oxidizer. Various fuel-to-oxidizer ratios were studied for their effects on the combustion phenomena and the properties of the synthesized TiO₂. The fuel-to-oxidizer ratio was found to determine the maximum combustion temperature, which in turn affects the specific surface area, crystallite size, and weight fraction of anatase phase of the synthesized TiO₂. The synthesized TiO₂ all contain carbonaceous species and are either pure anatase or anatase–rutile mixed phase in crystalline structure. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO₂ was found to correlate to a certain degree with the specific surface area, crystallite size, weight fraction of anatase phase, and visible and IR absorbances. The mixed phase TiO₂ shows a higher photocatalytic activity than the pure anatase phase TiO₂ when containing a small fraction (<~25 wt%) of rutile phase but a lower phoyocatalytic activity when containing a large fraction (>~25 wt%) of rutile phase. The synthesized TiO₂ all show higher photocatalytic activity than Degussa P25 TiO₂. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was attributed mainly to sensitization by the carbonaceous species and larger amounts of hydroxyl group adsorbed on the TiO₂ surface.     

Selective dissolution of TiO2 crystalline phases: Physicochemical characterization and photocatalytic activity

In this study, different commercially available TiO₂ powders (Degussa P25, pure anatase, and rutile) were submitted to selective dissolution treatments, with H₂O₂/NH₄OH and 10% HF, known to remove rutile and anatase from physical mixtures. The aim was to check whether a particular separation method designed to remove a specific crystalline phase influences the properties of the other phase from the mixture or not. More precisely, we have studied how the HF dissolution method designed to selectively remove the anatase affected the physicochemical and photocatalytic properties of rutile. In a similar way, the changes in the anatase properties were studied, after the H₂O₂/NH₄OH treatment, initially used to remove rutile from the mixture. All the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption–desorption, transmission electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance (DR) ultraviolet–visible, and Raman spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of these powders was tested in the oxidation of p-chlorophenol from water. The selective treatment methods not only dissolved the target phase but also changed some physicochemical and the photocatalytic performances of the other TiO₂ crystalline phase in a considerable manner. These aspects should be taken into account in the studies regarding the synergistic effects of anatase and rutile, especially in reconstructed TiO₂ photocatalysts.     

Study on the formation of H2O2 on TiO2 photocatalysts and their activity for the photocatalytic degradation of X-GL dye

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles of both anatase and rutile phases were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of microemulsions, and their photocatalytic activity for the degradation of X-GL dye was investigated. The only difference between the two methods used was that different acids were added to the microemulsions to make a direct comparison of the photocatalytic activity of the polymorphs possible. UV — Vis reflectance and XRD spectroscopic investigations of these titanium dioxides indicated that a rutile structure could be formed (PR) when hydrochloric acid was used, and anatase formed (PA) when nitric acid was used. The activity of the two polymorphs and P-25 for the photocatalytic degradation of dye in water was also examined. It was found that P-25 consisting of anatase and rutile has the highest activity, and PR consisting of rutile has the lowest. Photodegradation of X-GL in the presence of these different TiO₂ particles under air-equilibrated controlled conditions led to the formation of hydrogen peroxide. The formation rate of H₂O₂ depended on the difference in crystalloid phase. These results indicate that the observed differences in the photocatalytic activity for the three TiO₂ photocatalysts are directly related to the formation rate of H₂O₂.     

Preparation of nanocrystalline TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> powders for photocatalytic oxidation of phenol

Nanocrystalline TiO₂ powders in the anatase, rutile, and mixed phases prepared by hydrolysis of TiCl₄ solution were of ultrafine size (<7.2 nm) with high specific surface areas in the range 167 to 388 m²/g. In the photocatalytic degradation of phenol as model reaction, the photocatalytic properties of TiO₂ nanoparticles were evaluated by use of UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and total organic carbon (TOC) content. The synthetic mixed-phase TiO₂ powder calcined at 400 °C had higher activity than pure anatase or rutile; it degraded more than 90% phenol to CO₂ (evaluated by TOC) after irradiation with near UV light for 90 min at a catalyst loading of 0.4 g/L. The TOC results indicated that rutile TiO₂ crystallites of particle size 7.2 nm resulted in much better photocatalytic performance than particles of larger size. This result suggested that some intermediates, not determined by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, existed in the solution after the photocatalytic process over the rutile TiO₂ photocatalysts of larger crystallite size.     

Synergistic effect between TiO2 sol–gel and Degussa P25 in dye photodegradation

The TiO₂ powders were synthesized by versatile and low cost sol–gel process using HNO₃ and titanium tetra-isopropoxide (volumetric ratio of 4:1) following by the hydrolysis reaction. The powders show the two polymorphs of TiO₂: 96 % anatase and 4 % brookite, due to acidic condition (pH = 3). Thin films of titanium oxide were obtained by dip-coating, using the sol–gel of titanium oxide mixed with commercial Degussa P25 into a weight ratio 1:1 or 1:1.5, to enhance the synergistic effect of anatase/rutile ratio aiming at increasing the efficiency of the TiO₂ photocatalyst in dyes degradation. The thin film surface (charge and morphology) was controlled by polymer (poly-ethylene glycol) and surfactant (Sodium dodecyl sulphate, Triton X100) addition. The titanium oxide was characterized by particle size analyzer, contact angle measurements, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The photocatalytic properties of powders and coatings were evaluated based on the degradation efficiency of two reference dyes (methyl orange and methylene blue). The results outline that poly(ethylene glycol) and films morphologies are the most influential factors that affecting the photocatalytic activity.     

Preparation of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanofibers immobilized on quartz substrate by electrospinning for photocatalytic degradation of ranitidine

The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanofibers immobilized on quartz substrates was investigated by evaluating the decomposition of organic pollutants. TiO₂ nanofibers were synthesized by electrospinning the Ti-precursor/polymer mixture solution, followed by hot-pressing for enhancing the adhesion of TiO₂-nanofiber films to the substrates. TiO₂ started to crystalize in the anatase form at 500 °C and reached the optimal photocatalytic anatase/rutile phase ratio of 70:30 at a calcination temperature of 600 °C. The TiO₂-nanofiber film was demonstrated to be an efficient photocatalyst by ranitidine decomposition under UV illumination and was proven to have a comparable photocatalytic activity with the well-known Degussa P25 nanoparticulate photocatalyst and excellent recyclability during 10 cycles of photocatalytic operation, indicating no loss of TiO₂ nanofibers during photocatalytic operations.     

Synthesis of nanosized TiO2/SiO2 particles using microwave processes and their photocatalytic activity on the decomposition of orange II

The nanosized titania and TiO₂/SiO₂ particles were prepared by the microwave-hydrothermal method. The effect of physical properties TTIP/TEOS ratio and calcination temperature has been investigated. The major phase of the pure TiO₂ particle is of the anatase structure, and a rutile peak was observed above 800°C. In TiO₂/SiO₂ particles, however, no significant rutile phase was observed, although the calcination temperature was 900°C. No peaks for the silica crystal phase were observed at either silica/titania ratio. The crystallite size of TiO₂/SiO₂ particles decreases as compared to pure TiO₂ at high calcination temperatures. The TiO₂/SiO₂ particles show higher activity on the photocatalytic decomposition of orange II as compared to pure TiO₂ particles.     

Exposed crystal surface-controlled TiO2 nanorods having rutile phase from TiCl3 under hydrothermal conditions

Size-, shape-, and phase structure-controlled synthesis of TiO₂ nanocrystallites has long been one of the main themes in TiO₂ research. Many synthetic techniques have been utilized in the preparation of TiO₂ nanocrystals, among which hydrothermal treatment has been drawing much attention because it directly produces well-crystallized nanocrystallities of a wide range of compositions of crystal phases within a short reaction time. In this study, we carried out hydrothermal growth of rutile TiO₂ rods by using aqueous titanium trichloride (TiCl₃) solutions containing NaCl. Uniform ultrafine rutile TiO₂ particles were obtained, and developed crystal faces were observed by TEM, SEM, XRD, and specific surface area measurements. The obtained rutile fine particles showed high levels of activity for degradation of 2-propanol and acetaldehyde under UV irradiation compared to the activity levels of anatase fine particles (ST-01) developed for environmental clean-up. The surface chemistry of the rutile TiO₂ particles was also investigated. From photodeposition of Pt and PbO₂, we suggest that the (1 1 0) face provides reductive sites and that the (1 1 1) face provides oxidative sites. These results indicate that the crystal faces facilitate the separation of electrons and holes, resulting in improvement of photocatalytic activity.     

Preparation of TiO2 Powder by Modified Two-Stage Hydrolysis

Nano-sized TiO₂ powders were synthesized by modified hydrolysis reaction using two-stage treatments of acid/base catalyst. Using an acidic catalyst, the primary particle size of assynthesized TiO₂ was smaller than using basic catalyst, but rutile ratio and the particle size were increased after heat treatment due to the dense packing of particles. However, in the synthesized TiO₂ powder using a basic catalyst persist the anatase phase and a loosely aggregation of particle after heat treatment. It was found that the catalyst used in the first stage determines the primary particle size. However the phase, the packing density and degree of dispersion of TiO₂ powder were determined by the secondly applied catalyst. Therefore, the addition sequence of catalysts is the most important key to prepare fine powders for photocatalytic use and solar cell. In this study, an acid treatment followed by a base is suggested as best route to obtaining fine size and distribution of particles and high content of anatase phase.     

Photodegradation of dye pollutants on one-dimensional TiO2 nanoparticles under UV and visible irradiation

Titanium dioxides (TiO₂) nanoparticles with one-dimensional (1D) geometry, nanorods and nanostripes, were used as photocatalysts to photodegrade Rhodamine B (RhB) under ultraviolet (UV) and visible irradiation. The nanorods catalyst exhibited very interesting photocatalytic properties: under the UV irradiation its catalytic activity was slightly below that of the well-known TiO₂ catalyst P25, while under visible light it exhibited a better activity than P25.This fact indicates that the nanorods have a superior ability to utilize less energetic but more abundant visible light. Moreover, the 1D TiO₂ nanoparticles can be readily separated from aqueous suspensions by sedimentation after the reaction. With these advantages the 1D TiO₂ catalysts have a great potential for environmental applications. Various analytical techniques were employed to characterize TiO₂ catalysts and monitor the photocatalytic reaction. It was found that the catalytic performance of the catalysts is greatly dependent on their structures: The superior activity of P25 (consists of anatase and rutile nanocrystals) under UV light results probably from the interfacial interaction between anatase and rutile nanocrystals in this solid, which do not exist in the nanorods (only anatase). The titanate nanostripes (titanate) can absorb UV photons with shorter wavelength only.     

Correlation of the heterogeneous discoloration efficiency of aqueous Rhodamine-B solutions and charge separation enhancement of mixed-phase nanocrystalline titania

Heterogeneous photocatalytic removal of Rhodamine-B (RhB) dye from liquid phase was done using mixed-phase nanocrystalline TiO₂ for enhancement of charge separation and UV-visible-light-driven photocatalysis capabilities. The mixed-phase nanocrystalline TiO₂ was characterized using various analytical techniques including XRD, TEM, UV-vis DRS and PL to investigate its phase composition and structure, nanocrystalline size distribution, band gap energy, and photoluminescence properties. The photocatalytic discoloration efficiency of mixed-phase nanocrystalline titania was explored by monitoring the decomposition of RhB dye in an aqueous solution. The results showed that the as-prepared mixed-phase nanocrystalline TiO₂ was excellent for degradation of RhB molecule, and the combination of crystal phase of anatase and rutile has great effect on decomposition of RhB. The kinetic studies demonstrate that the photocatalytic oxidation reaction followed a pseudo-first-order expression due to the evidence of linear correlation between ln(c/c ₀) vs. reaction time t. Moreover, the aqueous RhB dye decomposition over the as-prepared mixed-phase nanocrystalline TiO₂ catalyst is controlled by RhB pre-adsorption.     

Curious behaviors of photogenerated electrons and holes at the defects on anatase,rutile, and brookite TiO2 powders: A review

Photocatalytic reactions are governed by photogenerated charge carriers upon band gap excitation. Therefore, for better understanding of the mechanism, the dynamics of photocarriers should be studied. One of the attractive materials is TiO₂, which has been extensively investigated in the field of photocatalysis. This review article summarizes our recent works of time-resolved visible to mid-IR absorption measurements to elucidate the difference of anatase, rutile, and brookite TiO₂ powders. The distinctive photocatalytic activities of these polymorphs are determined by the electron-trapping processes at the defects on powders. Powders are rich in defects and these defects capture photogenerated electrons. The depth of the trap is crystal phase dependent, and they are estimated to be < 0.1 eV, ∼0.4 eV and ∼0.9 eV for anatase, brookite, and rutile, respectively. Electron trapping reduces probability to meet with holes and then elongate the lifetime of holes. Therefore, it works negatively for the reaction of electrons but positively works for the reaction of holes. In the steady-state reactions, both electrons and holes should be consumed. Hence, the balance between the positive and negative effects of defects determines the distinctive photocatalytic activities of anatase, rutile, and brookite TiO₂ powders.     

Microstructure and Photocatalytic Property of SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Under Various Process Condition

Nanophase silica-titania particles were prepared by two different synthetic routes, namely, sol–gel and hydrothermal processing. The crystallinity and crystallographic phases, particle size and surface area of the materials were controlled by varying the calcination temperature, and/or the ratio of Si to Ti. It was determined by XRD that the crystallite sizes of SiO₂-TiO₂ prepared by sol–gel and hydrothermal processing decreased from 11 to 6 nm and 12 to 9 nm, respectively, as the mole fraction of silica was increased from 0.1 to 0.4. It is proposed that the presence of the amorphous silica suppresses the growth of anatase TiO₂ grains and their phase transformation to rutile. The photocatalytic decomposition rate of 1,4-dichlorobenzene (DCB) in aqueous solution with the sol–gel derived SiO₂-TiO₂ powder prepared at 750 °C was about 10 ± 5% higher than that observed with Degussa P25, whereas the SiO₂-TiO₂ samples prepared by hydrothermal processing at 250 °C showed a slightly lower decomposition rate than P25.     

Preparation of TiO2 nano-particle photocatalysts by a multi-gelation method: the effect of pH change

TiO₂ photocatalysts were prepared by a multi-gelation method and the effect of the changes in the pH during the pH swing times, i.e., by a controlled pH swing, on the morphology of the TiO₂ particles was investigated. The photocatalytic properties of the TiO₂ catalysts prepared by controlled pH swing were compared with TiO₂ particles prepared without adjusting the pH during the swing times. The photocatalytic degradation reaction of these TiO₂ catalysts was investigated by comparing their effectiveness in 2-propanol oxidation. The experimental results showed that the TiO₂ photocatalysts prepared without adjusting the pH performed better in controlling the important parameters of the catalysts such as particle size, surface area, anatase/rutile phase ratio and pore size, as well as pore volume than the TiO₂ photocatalysts prepared by a controlled pH swing method. Deceased.     

Analysis of preparation of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> particles by diffusion flame reactor for photodegradation of phenol and toluene

TiO₂ nanoparticles were produced in the diffusion flame reactor, and the size and anatase/rutile content of TiO₂ were examined by a Particle Size Analyzer and X-ray diffraction, respectively. Increase in fuel/O₂ ratio, initial concentration of TiCl₄ or total gas flow rate causes the larger particle size and the higher rutile composition. The photocatalytic activities of TiO₂ powders were tested on the decompositions of phenol and toluene in the aqueous solution under UV irradiation. The degradation rate increases as the TiO₂ particle size decreases and as the initial concentration of phenol or toluene increases. The photodegradation rate of phenol by TiO₂ particles is higher than that of toluene at the same process conditions. The computational method was used to simulate the gas temperature, velocity and species mass fractions inside the diffusion flame reactor during synthesis of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The measured and simulated temperature results were compared on several positions above the burner and both of them show good agreements. The typical contours of TiCl₄, TiO₂ mass fractions and gas velocities in flame reactor were presented.     

Photocatalytic Crystalline and Amorphous TiO2 Nanotubes Prepared by Electrospinning and Atomic Layer Deposition

In this work core/shell composite polymer/TiO₂ nanofibers and from those TiO₂ nanotubes were prepared. First, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) fibers were synthetized by electrospinning. They were covered with a 100 nm thick amorphous TiO₂ layer by atomic layer deposition at 50 °C. Later the polymer core was removed by two different methods: dissolution and annealing. In the case of dissolution in water, the as-prepared TiO₂ nanotubes remained amorphous, while when annealing was used to remove the polymers, the TiO₂ crystallized in anatase form. Due to this, the properties of amorphous and crystalline TiO₂ nanotubes with exactly the same structure and morphology could be compared. The samples were investigated by SEM-EDX, ATR-IR, UV-Vis, XRD and TG/DTA-MS. Finally, the photocatalytic properties of the TiO₂ nanotubes were studied by decomposing methyl-orange dye under UV light. According to the results, crystalline anatase TiO₂ nanotubes reached the photocatalytic performance of P25, while amorphous TiO₂ nanotubes had observable photocatalytic activity.     

Photocatalytic Effects of Rutile Phase TiO2 Ultrafine Powder with High Specific Surface Area Obtained by a Homogeneous Precipitation Process at Low Temperatures

The photocatalytic characteristics of nanostructured TiO₂ ultrafine powder with rutile phase produced using the homogeneous precipitation process at low temperatures (HPPLT) were compared with those of commercial P-25 TiO₂ powder by flame hydrolysis. The TiO₂ powder by the HPPLT showed much higher photoactivity in the removal rate, showing lower pH values in the solution than the P-25 powder when eliminating metal ions such as Pb and Cu from the aqueous metal-EDTA solutions. This can be inferred as the more rapid photo-oxidation or -reduction of metal ions from the aqueous solution, together with relatively higher efficiencies in the use of an electron-hole pair formed on the surface of the TiO₂ particles under UV light irradiation. Also, in the view of the TiO₂ particle morphology, compared to the well-dispersed spherical P-25 particles, the agglomerated TiO₂ secondary particles by the HPPLT consist of acicular typed primary particles with a thickness in the range of 3–7 nm and the primary particles radialize in all directions, which would be more effective to photocatalytic reactions without the large electron-hole recombination on the surface of the TiO₂ particle under UV light irradiation. It can be, therefore, thought that the higher photoactivity of the rutile TiO₂ powder by the HPPLT in the aqueous solutions results mainly from having a larger surface area by the acicular shaped primary particles with very thin thickness and radialization in all directions.     

TiO2晶相对MnOx/TiO2催化剂催化NO氧化性能的影响

以浸渍在不同晶相TiO₂ （金红石型（R）、锐钛矿型（A）和P25型（P））上的锰基催化剂为对象,研究了TiO₂晶相对MnO_x/TiO₂催化剂催化NO氧化活性的影响。 结果表明,MnO_x/TiO₂（P）催化剂活性最高,NO转化率在300℃及GHSV = 20000 h^-1条件下可达83%。 各催化剂活性顺序为MnO_x/TiO₂（P）>MnO_x/TiO₂（A）>MnO_x/TiO₂（R）。采用X射线粉末衍射、场发射扫描电子显微镜、X射线光电子能谱、H₂程序升温还原和O₂程序升温脱附等手段研究了TiO₂晶相影响MnO_x/TiO₂催化剂催化活性的作用机理。结果表明,相比于A和R型TiO₂,P型TiO₂能够增加MnO_x在其表面的分散度并抑制催化剂颗粒的团聚和粘连,且更有利于Mn₂O₃的生成,而后者催化NO氧化活性比其它MnO_x更高;此外,P型TiO₂可以增加MnO_x尤其是Mn₂O₃的还原性,并可促进O₂^-从M³⁺-O键的脱附。