UV-A and Simulated Sunlight Photo-activity of TiO2 Nanoparticles Formed from Titanate Nanotubes

Jeffrey S. Church; Keith Fincher; Xingdong Wang

doi:10.1071/CH09239

RESEARCH ARTICLE

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UV-A and Simulated Sunlight Photo-activity of TiO₂ Nanoparticles Formed from Titanate Nanotubes

Jeffrey S. Church ^A ^C , Keith Fincher ^A and Xingdong Wang ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Materials Science and Engineering, CSIRO, PO Box 21, Belmont, Geelong, Vic. 3216, Australia.

^B School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.

^C Corresponding author. Email: jeff.church@csiro.au

Australian Journal of Chemistry 63(2) 293-298 https://doi.org/10.1071/CH09239
Submitted: 24 April 2009 Accepted: 21 June 2009 Published: 26 February 2010

Abstract

Sodium titanate nanotubes were prepared hydrothermally and sodium ions were exchanged for hydrogen ions by washing with water and further treatment with HCl. No anatase or rutile was produced during the exchange. Photo-catalysts were prepared by calcination and their activity was compared in UV-A and simulated sunlight by bleaching methyl orange, which does not adsorb onto the catalyst’s surface. Only photo-catalysts with low sodium content were capable of bleaching the dye. More photo-oxidation occurred in simulated sunlight suggesting that the dye is absorbing visible light and transferring this energy to the TiO₂. The preparation of highly active photo-catalysts from sodium titanate nanotubes may well depend on optimizing their preparation to minimize sodium content without the formation of rutile.

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering. The authors acknowledge the technical assistance of Joyce Mole, Colin Veitch, and Andrea Woodhead.

References

UV-A and Simulated Sunlight Photo-activity of TiO2 Nanoparticles Formed from Titanate Nanotubes

Abstract

Acknowledgements

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UV-A and Simulated Sunlight Photo-activity of TiO₂ Nanoparticles Formed from Titanate Nanotubes