Synthesis and characterization of TiO2 quantum dots for photocatalytic application

Abstract

In the present study, TiO2 quantum dots (QDs) were effectively synthesized by the sol–gel method and it was characterized by several techniques. The structure of the TiO2 QDs, before and after calcination, was analyzed by the powder X-ray diffraction technique. The XRD results indicate that after calcination, TiO2 QDs have pure anatase phase with tetragonal structure without any other phases and impurities. The morphology and size of the TiO2 QDs were determined from FE-SEM and TEM analysis. The optical band gap of TiO2 QDs was estimated using Kubelka–Munk function from diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity and recycling ability of the TiO2 QDs have been investigated. The TiO2 QDs were used to degrade the model dyes such as methyl orange and methylene blue under UV light irradiation and their results have been discussed. A mechanism is proposed and discussed accordingly in detail.