Anatase-phase titania: preparation by embedding silica and photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of trichloroethylene

Abstract

Nanophase titania particles were prepared by the sol–gel process using two different precursors; titanium isopropoxide(TTIP) and titanium ethoxide (TEOT). Silica-embedded titania particles was also prepared from TEOT and tera-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS). In the case of nanophase titania particles prepared from TTIP, the rutile/anatase mixed phase had higher photoactivity than the pure anatase in the decomposition of TCE. However, in the nanophase titania prepared from TEOT, the photoactivity was increased with the heat treatment temperature until rutile phase began to be formed. The surface area was decreased with the heat treatment temperature. The photoactivity of the pure anatase titania prepared from TEOT was higher than that of Degussa P25 and the anatase/rutile mixed titania prepared from TTIP. Therefore, we concluded that, in order to achieve high photocatalytic activity, it was important to prepare titania particles at high temperature, preferably without forming rutile phase but not necessarily. This conclusion was confirmed by the experimental result that the silica-embedded titania particle of pure anatase phase had higher photoactivity than that of Degussa P25 and the pure anatase titania prepared from TEOT. The embedding of small amount of silica into anatase titania matrix enhanced the thermal stability of nanophase titaina particle resulting in the suppression of the phase transformation from anatase to rutile phase. This thermal stability enables us to calcine the silica-embedded particles at higher temperature without accompanying the phase transformation and to reduce the bulk defects, which are responsible for the low photocatalytic activity.