Microstructural modification of hollow TiO2 nanospheres and their photocatalytic performance

The microstructure of photocatalysts plays a key role in enhancing their photocatalytic performance. Herein, resorcinol/formaldehyde (RF) polymer resin was prepared using the extended Stober process and used for hard templates. Hollow TiO2 spheres (HTS) were synthesized via hydrolysis of a versatile kinetics-controlled coating and carbonization method. The physicochemical properties of as-prepared catalysts were characterized. The pure RF template had a uniform diameter of similar to 450 nm. By adjusting the ammonia dosage from 0.1 to 0.35 mL, monodisperse RF@TiO2 spheres were obtained with a porous TiO2 shell of similar to 25-160 nm in thickness. The concentration of ammonia had a significant effect on the micromorphology, and hence, the photocatalytic properties of the HTS. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and pore volume were similar to 30 m(2)/g and 0.082 cm(3)/g, respectively. The intrinsically high conductivity of the HTS microspheres and their high surface area resulting from this robust hollow structure was beneficial for photocatalytic performance toward phenol decomposition.

Automated summary

The microstructure of photocatalysts, such as hollow TiO2 spheres synthesized using RF polymer resin, plays a vital role in enhancing photocatalytic performance. Adjusting the concentration of ammonia during synthesis affects the micromorphology and photocatalytic properties of the TiO2 spheres. The high conductivity and surface area of the hollow TiO2 spheres contribute to their efficient photocatalytic performance in phenol decomposition.