Effect of hydrothermal treatment on structural and photocatalytic properties of TiO2 synthesized by sol-gel method

TiO2 nanoparticles have been prepared by sot-gel precipitation and further hydrothermal treatment. In this way, the effect of the hydrothermal treatment on the structural properties and photocatalytic activity of sot-gel synthesized catalysts has been investigated. These catalysts have been produced by hydrolysis of a mixture of isopropanol-titanium tetraisopropoxide (iPrOH-TiiP). The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), surface area analysis (BET), transmission microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, diffuse reflectance, sedimentability analysis and aggregate size study. Besides, the structural evolution with the temperature of the photocatalysts treated or not hydrothermally was studied. It was observed that the calcination produces approaching between the characteristics of both sets of photocatalysts. The photocatalytic activity of the obtained photocatalysts was investigated, using phenol as a model pollutant. The calcination temperature is the most remarkable factor that can affect the ultimate photocatalytic activity of the prepared photocatalysts. However, the hydrothermal treatment previous to calcination led to obtain photocatalysts which exhibit larger photocatalytic activity than their homologous photocatalysts without hydrothermal treatment. The obtained photocatalyst TiO(2)ht600 exhibits the same photocatalytic activity per surface area than the commercial TiO2 Degussa P25 but with much faster sedimentability. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.