Preparation and characterization of doped TiO 2 nanodandelion

Abstract

Doped dandelion-like TiO 2 microspheres assembled nanorods were synthesized from rutile powders using either urea or thiourea leading to N- or S-doped TiO 2. The rutile particles reacted in concentrated NaOH and urea (or thiourea) solution under hydrothermal conditions (200 °C for 24 h), yielding N- and S-doped TiO 2 nanodandelions with diameters ranging from 0.7 to 1.3 μm. SEM, HRTEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and IR spectra were used to characterize the synthesis of powders. The results show that concentrated urea (or thiourea) and NaOH are used as additives that help in the construction of the dandelion-like structures. The fabricated nanostructures exhibit high photocatalytic activity in the photodegradation of aqueous Methylene Blue solution.