Combined adsorption and photocatalytic properties of porous TiO2 nanoparticles for methylene blue removal

초록

TiO2 has recently attracted significant interest due to its intriguing properties. Despite extensive research, some aspects of its performance, particularly surface area, have been scarcely highlighted. This study confirms that porous TiO2 nanoparticles can serve as excellent adsorbents for methylene blue removal. Porous TiO2 was prepared using Ti precursors and mesoporous silica nanoparticles as templates. The analysis results revealed that the TiO2 prepared using mesoporous silica nanoparticle template exhibited a large surface area (399 m(2) g(-1)) and a band gap energy of approximately 3.2 eV. The surface morphology and crystalline structures were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, Transmission electron microscope, BET, zeta and x-ray diffraction techniques. The functional groups and vibration modes were investigated through Fourier transform infrared and Raman measurements. The porous TiO2 absorbed more than 99.9% of Methylene blue (MB) in a MB aqueous solution within 120 min that was the potential material for MB removal. This work offers a practical approach to utilizing porous TiO2 for efficient dye removal.

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