A chemical etching route to controllable fabrication of TiO2 hollow nanospheres for enhancing their photocatalytic activity

  • Weixin Zhang
  • Jie Xing
  • Zeheng Yang
  • Mei Kong
  • Hongxu Yao
Research Article
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Abstract

The TiO2 hollow nanospheres with diameters of about 230 nm were prepared by a simple and controllable route based on hydrolysis of Ti(OBu)4 on the surfaces of the Cu2O solid nanospheres followed by inward etching of the Cu2O nanospheres. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The further post-heat treatment led to the high crystallization of the TiO2 hollow nanospheres. The photocatalytic performances of these samples were evaluated for the photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under UV-light irradiation. The as-prepared TiO2 hollow nanospheres showed higher photocatalytic activity than the CuO and the CuO/TiO2 hollow nanospheres. Effects of temperature and time for post-heat treatment of TiO2 as well as initial RhB concentrations on the RhB photodegradation have also been studied. The results show that the TiO2 hollow nanospheres have the good reusability as photocatalysts and are promising in waste water treatment.

Keywords

TiO2 hollow nanospheres rhodamine B photocatalytic activity 
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Copyright information

© Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Weixin Zhang
    • 1
    • 2
  • Jie Xing
    • 1
    • 2
  • Zeheng Yang
    • 1
    • 2
  • Mei Kong
    • 1
    • 2
  • Hongxu Yao
    • 1
    • 2
  1. 1.School of Chemical EngineeringHefei University of TechnologyAnhuiChina
  2. 2.Anhui Key Laboratory of Controllable Chemical Reaction & Material Chemical EngineeringAnhuiChina

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