Hydrothermal synthesis of titanium dioxides from peroxotitanate solution using different amine group-containing organics and their photocatalytic activity

Nanosized TiO2 particles were prepared by hydrothermal method of the amorphous powders which were precipitated in an aqueous peroxotitanate solution using different amine group-containing organics. The physical properties of prepared nanosized TiO2 particles were investigated. We also examined the activity of TiO2 particles as a photocatalyst for the decomposition of orange II. The TiO2 particles calcined at 400 degrees C were shown to have a stable anatase phase which has no organic compounds. The particles size of titania particles decreased from 15 to 10 nm as the carbon chain length increased. The titania nanoparticles were shown to have a polygonal shape prepared using NH4OH and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) as additives, however, the micrographs showed the spherical and narrow size distribution prepared using tetraethyl-ammonium hydroxide (TEAOH) and tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAOH). The titania particles prepared using TEAOH as an amine group-containing organic showed the highest activity on the photocatalytic decomposition of orange II. In addition, the titania particles calcined at 500 degrees C showed the highest activity on the photocatalytic decomposition of orange II. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.