Abstract
Reduced TiO2 (titanium dioxide)/black TiO2 has garnered tremendous attention among researchers due to its superior photocatalytic performance in many applications. Numerous synthetic routes exist in the literature for producing reduced TiO2 of different colours. This paper has developed a simple, low-cost method to reduce pristine TiO2 in 30 min using minimal amounts of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) without the need for harsh conditions and an inert environment. Variation in reduction temperature and NaBH4/TiO2 molar ratio produced coloured samples ranging from light grey to pitch black. Characterization of the samples was done through UV-DRS (ultraviolet diffused reflectance spectroscopy), XRD (X-ray diffraction), ESR (electron spin resonance), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), FESEM (field emission scanning electron microscopy) and TEM (transmission electron microscopy). The particle sizes of all samples were in the range of 20–50 nm. Enhanced visible light absorption, reduced bandgap values and presence of defect species (Ti3+ and oxygen vacancies) on the surface of the samples were observed, which changed with varying reduction parameters. The optimal sample was found to be the one reduced at 350 ºC using NaBH4/TiO2 molar ratio of 0.2 (R-350–0.2). This sample exhibited better photocatalytic activity than pristine TiO2 and all reduced samples in the degradation of fuchsin basic (FB) dye solution under both sunlight and UV–visible light. The optimal sample, with intermediate defect concentration, had a reduced bandgap value of 2.87 eV as compared to 3.18 eV for pristine TiO2. Excess defect concentration due to a higher temperature and higher NaBH4 dosage decreased the activity.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Department of Chemistry, Gujarat University; Shah-Schulman Center for Surface Science and Nanotechnology, Dharaminh Desai Institute of Technology, Nadiad; Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility (SAIF) at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay; Indian Institute of Technology, Dharwad; Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar; Facility of Centre for Excellence in Imaging at Division of Biological & Life Sciences, Ahmedabad University; and Central Analytical Laboratory, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Hyderabad Campus for their assistance in sample analysis. Additionally, the authors extend their special gratitude to the Nanotechnology Research Centre (NRC), SRM Institute of Science and Technology, and Central Instrumentation Facility, Pondicherry University, for providing research facilities. The authors also sincerely thank Mohammedadil M. Shaikh for his support.
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Conceptualization: TSR, VGG, SPP. Methodology: VGG, VHN. Formal analysis and investigation: TSR, VGG. Writing—original draft preparation: TSR, VHN. Writing—review and editing: VGG, SPP. Resources: TSR, VHN, SPP. Supervision: VHN, VGG, SPP.
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Rajaraman, T.S., Gandhi, V.G., Nguyen, VH. et al. Aluminium foil-assisted NaBH4 reduced TiO2 with surface defects for photocatalytic degradation of toxic fuchsin basic dye. Appl Nanosci 13, 3925–3944 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-022-02628-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-022-02628-x