Abstract
A new anatase/SiO2 nanocomposite was synthesized by sol-gel method at room temperature using titanium tetrachloride and tetraethylorthosilicate as raw materials. Characterization of the product was carried out by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface areas, Thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. Thermal phase transformation studies of composite were carried out up to 1100°C which showed the establishment of anatase TiO2 phase. The presence of some tetrahedral coordination of TiO2 species in SiO2 matrix was confirmed by UV-Vis study. The produced TiO2/SiO2 nanocomposite has good photocatalytic properties due to its anatase phase, existence of tetrahedral coordination of TiO2 in the SiO2 matrix and very large surface area. Furthermore, the synthesized anatase/SiO2 shows significant adsorption ability towards Congo Red (CR) azo dye in comparison with the pure commercial TiO2 which is known as Degussa, P25.
Highlights
In the area of advanced oxidation technology, titanium dioxide semiconductor photocatalysis has been widely studied because of its potential application in air clean-up and water purification
A new anatase/SiO2 nanocomposite was synthesized by sol-gel method at room temperature using titanium tetrachloride and tetraethylorthosilicate as raw materials
TiO2/SiO2 composites are very promising in field of heterogeneous photocatalysis, since they could provide simultaneously enhanced photocatalytic and thermal properties compared to pure TiO2 photocatalyst [10,11,12,13]
Summary
In the area of advanced oxidation technology, titanium dioxide semiconductor photocatalysis has been widely studied because of its potential application in air clean-up and water purification. It has been reported that photocatalytic reactivity of TiO2/ SiO2 nanocomposites is highly dependent on the Ti/Si ratios [14,15,16,17]. The effect of calcination temperature on particles size, BET surface area and phase transformation of anatase to rutile TiO2 were investigated. Characterization of the coordination sphere of Ti ions incorporated into silica matrix of the composite was studied. These investigations could provide vital information for the design of highly efficient photocatalytic systems in the degradation of toxic compounds diluted in a liquid phase
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