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Synthesis of TiO2 Nanoparticles by Microemulsion/Heat Treated Method and Photodegradation of Methylene Blue

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Abstract

In this work, TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by microemulsion (ME)/heat treated method and its photodecomposition property of methylene blue. Microemulsion (ME) consisted of water, cyclohexane and an anionic surfactant such as bis (2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT). Titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) was dropped into the ME solution and then then TiO2 nanoparticles were formed by the hydrolysis reaction between TTIP in the organic solvent and the water in the core of ME. The smallest diameter of the particles was 20 nm in the system of cyclohexane with surfactant when the molar ratio of water to surfactant was 2. The effect of the process parameters (water/surfactant ratio, different temperatures) on the final characteristics has been investigated, in terms of structural phase and particle size. The TiO2 nanoparticles were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, Transmission and scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-Transformed infrared and differential thermal analysis. TiO2 nanoparticles prepared in this condition were collected as amorphous powder, and converted to anatase phase at less than 350 °C, which is lower than the ordinal phase transition temperature. The crystallite size and crystallinity increase with an increase of heat treated s temperature. The particles are shown to have a spherical shape and have a uniform size distribution. The size of nanoparticles raises with an increase of water/surfactant ratio. In the photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue, the photocatalytic activity is mainly determined by the crystallinity of TiO2. In addition, the TiO2 heat treated at 350 °C shows the highest activity on the photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue (k = 1.7 × 10−2 min−1).

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  1. Department of Inorganic Pigments and Glazes, Institute for Colorants, Paint and Coatings—ICST, Tehran, Iran

    Maryam Hosseini Zori

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  1. Maryam Hosseini Zori
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Hosseini Zori, M. Synthesis of TiO2 Nanoparticles by Microemulsion/Heat Treated Method and Photodegradation of Methylene Blue. J Inorg Organomet Polym 21, 81–90 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10904-010-9419-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10904-010-9419-9

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