Structural study of monoclinic TiO2 nanostructures and photocatalytic applications for degradation of crystal violet dye

In this study, titanium dioxide was synthesized by using a hydrothermal technique at different growth temperatures. The study involved investigating the effects of growth temperature on crystal structure, surface area, morphology, and photocatalytic properties. The results indicated the growth of pure monoclinic titania. Additionally, an increase in growth temperature led to the formation of nanostructures to form nanowires and nanorods from nanospheres. The findings revealed variations in crystal quality at different growth temperatures. All samples displayed monoclinic crystal structure with the same molarity at different temperatures including 140 degrees C, 160 degrees C, and 180 degrees C. Various parameters were optimized to grow nanowires and nanorods with a monoclinic crystal structure. The planes of the grown nanostructures were same across all the samples. The grown nanostructures were applied in the degradation of a crystal violet (CV) dye that is also used in optical applications. The study involved demonstrating the excellent photodegradation properties of CV by using a synthesized nanophotocatalyst and providing a detailed discussion on the effects of morphology and crystal structure with respect to photocatalytic properties. The findings also revealed the improved photocatalytic results with respect to nanostructures due to the presence of a broad light harvesting region and the lifetime of the photogenerated electron-hole pair.