Highly active brookite TiO2-assisted photocatalytic degradation of dyes under the simulated solar - UVA radiation

Brookite TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal method and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance UV-Visible spectroscopy (DRUV), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained particles were spherical in shape with the diameter of about similar to 10 nm under the hydrothermal temperature of 175 degrees C. The photocatalytic performance of brookite was investigated in the photodegradation of dyes (rhodamine B and rose bengal) under UV-A radiation by low-power lamp. The activity of brookite and the photodegradation efficiency of dyes were estimated using a UV-Visible spectrophotometer and a total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer. Compared to anatase and rutile prepared by the similar synthesis procedure, brookite is highly active in terms of decolourization, aromatic ring opening, and mineralization.