Three-dimensional (3D) sea-urchin-like hierarchical TiO microspheres: growth mechanism and highly enhanced photocatalytic activity.

Zhou, Yi; Wang, Yutang; Yi, Qin; Li, Mengyao; Li, Xuzhi; Deng, Pan; Huang, Yan

Three-dimensional (3D) sea-urchin-like hierarchical TiO microspheres were synthesized by a template-free hydrothermal method. The effects of preparation parameters on the microstructure of 3D sea-urchin-like hierarchical TiO were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometer, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller technologies. The growth mechanism and photocatalytic activity of 3D sea-urchin-like TiO microspheres were discussed. The results of electron microscopy characterizations SEM showed that the microspheres were consisted of numerous one-dimensional (1D) nanorods. A three-step growth model: oxygenated to be 1D nanorods, self-assembly and protonation, was proposed to illustrate the growth mechanism of sea-urchin-like structures. The synthesized 3D sea-urchin-like hierarchical TiO microspheres exhibited a better photocatalytic activity for photodegradation of rhodamine B under sunlight irradiation compared to that of P25, which was attributed to the special 3D hierarchical nanostructure, the increased number of surface active sites and anatase crystal structure.

TITANIUM oxides synthesis; MICROSPHERES; HYDROTHERMAL alteration; SCANNING electron microscopy; X-ray diffractometers; NANOROD synthesis

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, 2014, Vol 25, Issue 9, p4156

0957-4522

Academic Journal

10.1007/s10854-014-2143-4