Novel titanium dioxide structure templated from filter paper scales

Titanium dioxide photocatalysts with the interwoven microstrip structure (TiO2 paper) were successfully synthesized using filter paper as templates. The synthesized samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (EDX). The results demonstrated that the samples with the paper-like structure were fully crystallized, and the presence of the filter paper raised the anatase-rutile transformation temperature. Additionally, a detailed formation mechanism for TiO2 paper is discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.