Synthesis and characterisation of clay-supported titania photocatalysts

摘要

This study examines the use of laponite,a synthetic smectite,which forms exfoliated silicate layers when dispersed in water,as an inorganic support for titania nanocrystals.Titania nanocrystals are prepared prior to addition to the clay dispersion,by a sol-gel synthesis incorporating a microwave hydrothermal step.The characteristics of the resultant structure such as titania phase,crystallite size,and particulate size are examined via X-ray diffraction(XRD),transmission electron spectroscopy(TEM),and infrared spectroscopy.