One-pot in situ synthesized TiO2/layered double hydroxides (LDHs) composites toward environmental remediation

In this paper, a novel approach to synthesize nanostructural composite materials of TiO2/ZnAl LDH is reported for the first time. By simply mixing precursor solutions, TiO2/ZnAl LDH composite materials can be readily synthesized. The deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles on the basal face of ZnAl LDH had maintained the original layered structure of ZnAl LDH. TiO2/LDH composites exhibited a typical IV isotherm type indicating a mesopore structure. The specific surface area of TiO2/LDH composites was four times that of pristine LDH. Furthermore, the adsorption test using the typical dye (methylene blue: MB) indicated that the adsorption ability of LDH had been significantly enhanced after the incorporation of TiO2 by this strategy. Therefore, the developed TiO2/LDH composite materials with unique adsorption characteristics have great potential for diverse applications. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.