Hydrothermal synthesis of titanium dioxides using acidic and basic peptizing agents and their photocatalytic activity on the decomposition of orange II

TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared using the hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) using HNO3 and TENOH as peptizing agents in the hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic degradation of orange II has been studied using a batch reactor in the presence of UV light. When the molar ratio of HNO3/TTIP is 1.0, the rutile phase appeared on the titania and the photocatalytic activity decreased with an increase of HNO3 concentration. However, no rutile phase was shown even though the molar ratio of TENOH/TTIP increased up to 1.0. The titania particle prepared at TENOH/TTIP molar ratio=0.1 shows the highest activity on the photocatalytic decomposition of orange II. and the photocatalytic activity decreases according to an increase in TENOH/TTIP molar ratio.