Preparation, characterization, and photocatalytic properties of layered-silicate-supported TiO_2 and ZnO nanoparticles

摘要

TiO_2 nanoparticles were prepared in 2-propanol and in water from titanium alkoxide, and ZnO nanoparticles were formed from aqueous ZnCl_2 either in situ in sodium montmorillonite and in synthetic hectorite or, alternatively, were incorporated into the silicate lamellas. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurements were used to establish the incorporation of semiconductor nanoparticles into the interlamellar space of the clays. The average particle diameter of the nanoparticles, determined by TEM, ranged between 4 and 14 nm. The photo-catalytic activity of TiO_2, intercalated into montmorillonite, for salicylic acid photooxidation was determined to be better than that elicited by TiO_2 alone.