Porous titanium dioxide supported on glass microbubbles to prepare a low-density photocatalyst for AR1 degradation

Low-density TiO2(C)/GB hollow powders were synthesized by loading anatase TiO2 onto glass microbubbles. CTAB (cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) was used to produce pores in the supported TiO2. A TiO2 layer with a thickness greater than 100 nm was tightly loaded onto the glass microbubbles. CTAB led to a slight expansion of the bandgap energy from 3.22 eV (TiO2(0)/GB) to 3.41 eV (TiO2(3.0)/GB). The ECB and the EVB values were -0.32 and 2.91 V for the TiO2(1.5)/GB, respectively. Both the average pore size (from 5.59 to 9.44 nm) and the total pore volume (from 0.0799 to 0.1283 cm3/g) of TiO2(C)/GB increased with an increasing amount of CTAB. The hole-electron recombination efficiency was in the sequence of TiO2(1.5)/GB< TiO2(3.0)/GB< TiO2(0)/GB. The AR1 degradation efficiency varied with the CTAB amount, and the maximum degradation efficiency was obtained for TiO2(1.5)/GB. The TiO2(C)/GB hollow powders were suspended in an AR1 solution during the degradation process, and TiO2(C)/GB floated on the water surface after treatment to ensure fast solid-water separation. The reaction rate constants were 1.79 x 10-2 and 1.21 x 10-2 min- 1 for TiO2(1.5)/GB and the unsupported TiO2 powders, respectively. TiO2(1.5)/GB had a stronger activity than the TiO2 powders.

Automated summary

Low-density TiO2(C)/GB hollow powders were synthesized by loading anatase TiO2 onto glass microbubbles and using CTAB to create pores, resulting in improved reaction rate and degradation efficiency.