Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of chrysanthemum-like brookite TiO_2 nanostructures

摘要

Chrysanthemum-like brookite TiO_2 nanostructures were synthesized via a hydrothermal method in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). TiCl_4 was used as the titanium source, and sodium hydroxide was used to control pH value. The morphology and structure of the as-prepared TiO_2 powders were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (RS), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicated that brookite TiO_2 with chrysanthemum-like nanostructures of about 3 μm in diameter were composed of numerous curved petals in size of hundreds of nanometers in length and 60-80 nm in thickness. The chrysanthemum-like TiO_2 nanostructures were applied to the photodegradation of methylene blue under UV light illumination and showed high photocatalytic activity to methylene blue (10 mg L~(-1) methylene blue (MB) solution: 86% degradation) at 10 mW cm~(-2).