Abstract
The micro-mesoporous TiO 2 materials obtained from hydrothermal crystallization of polyols (xylitol, glucose and sorbitol)/TiCl 4/acetylacetone/H 2O systems were characterized; and compared with VO x /TiO 2, by N 2-sorption, TG/DTA, X-ray diffraction, IR and scanning electron microscope. Through comparison of the results, it was found that glucose assembled TiO 2 (T G) calcinations at 623 K exhibited the formation of rutile–anatase nanoparticles (15 nm) as irregular shapes with disordered holes on particles surfaces, gyroidal structure (25 nm) following calcining at 773 K and cotton fibrils structure (10 nm) following vanadium incorporation (T G/V). Increasing the concentration of xylitol (T XY/C) significantly enhanced microporosites but decreases the specific surface area (309 m 2/g) and wall thickness (0.609 nm); as compared to T XY (356 m 2/g, 0.929 nm). T G presented remarkable increase in wall thickness (2.142 nm) that was principally responsible for enhancing the durability as well as the activity of this material towards photocatalytic reduction of Hg 2+ (giving 100% reduction activity at 80 min reaction time) in aqueous medium. Additionally, this material offered low acid content compared with other polyols assembled TiO 2 but in contrast confirmed high accessibility of their basic sites.
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