Microorganism-Templated Nanoarchitectonics of Hollow TiO2-SiO2 Microspheres with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Degradation of Methyl Orange

In this study, hollow SiO2 microspheres were synthesized by the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) according to the Stober process, in which Pichia pastoris GS 115 cells were served as biological templates. The influence of the preprocessing method, the TEOS concentration, the ratio of water to ethanol, and the aging time on the morphology of microspheres was investigated and the optimal conditions were identified. Based on this, TiO2-SiO2 microspheres were prepared by the hydrothermal process. The structures and physicochemical properties of TiO2-SiO2 photocatalysts were systematically characterized and discussed. The photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) at room temperature under Xe arc lamp acting as simulated sunlight was explored. The result showed that the as-prepared TiO2-SiO2 microspheres exhibited a good photocatalytic performance.

Automated summary

In this study, hollow SiO2 microspheres were synthesized using biological templates and TiO2-SiO2 microspheres were prepared through the hydrothermal process. The structures and physicochemical properties of TiO2-SiO2 photocatalysts were characterized, and their photocatalytic activity towards methyl orange degradation was evaluated.