Low Frequency Ultrasonication of Degussa P25 TiO2 and Its Superior Photocatalytic Properties

We report the simple and effective method for enhancing the photocatalytic properties of Degussa P25 TiO2 by low frequency ultrasonication. The improvement in the crystallinity of ultrasonicated TiO2 was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy studies. Further, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was utilized to study the changes in chemical nature and band edge due to the effect of ultrasonication and H2O2 solvent. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used to analysis the surface distortion. The Moire fringes in TEM were examined to understand the partial transformation of amorphous to crystalline anatase structure and overlapping of rutile over anatase crystal. The photocatalytic results indicated improvement in the degradation of methylene blue dye. The degradation efficiency was estimated to be 86% for ultrasonicated TiO2, which is higher as compared to 40% of P25. The rate constant values revealed four times superior degradation property of ultrasonicated TiO2. The improvement in the photocatalytic efficiency was correlated to the formation of rutile/anatase TiO2 aggregation and its consequences on electronhole recombination.