Synthesis of superacid sulfated TiO2 prepared by sol-gel method and its use as a titania precursor in obtaining a kaolinite/TiO2 nano-hybrid composite

Superacid sulfated TiO2 was prepared by the sol-gel method and tested as a titania precursor to obtaining a kaolinite/TiO2 nano-hybrid composite. Raman, FTIR, Zeta Potential, and XRD analyses allowed the identification of kaolinite and titania as well as the interactions between them to form the nanohybrid composite. SEM-FEG/ TEM analyses clearly showed titanium nanocrystals adhered to the surface of kaolinite microparticles. Thermogravimetric analysis of the powders showed that the composite obtained has a tenuous thermal reinforcement due to the presence of TiO2. Furthermore, the composite has excellent photocatalytic activity, reaching up to about 97% of methylene blue degradation under UV-C radiation in 3 h. Therefore, this study proposes a simple, safe, and effective method for the use of sulfated TiO2 as a precursor in the synthesis of composite nanomaterials based on titania. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.YY

Automated summary

The study synthesized a kaolinite/TiO2 nano-hybrid composite using superacid sulfated TiO2 as a precursor, which exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity and thermal reinforcement. This proposed method provides a simple, safe, and effective approach for the synthesis of composite nanomaterials based on titania.