In situ synthesis of the mesoporous C-TiO2 microspheres derived from partial hydrolysis tetrabutyl titanate for enhanced photocatalytic degradation under visible light

C-TiO2 microspheres were prepared in situ through microwave-assisted solvothermal method followed by low -temperature heat treatment in this study. Different carbon content doping samples were obtained through different temperatures of heat treatment. The characterization results indicate that C-TiO2 samples are exclu-sively composed of anatase crystallites, and also the interstitial carbon and the surface carbonate species are confirmed existed in the samples, which could significantly enhance the photocatalytic activity under visible light. When irradiated for 60 min under 5 W visible-light, the degradation efficiency of 40 mg/l methylene blue (200 mg catalyst) and 10 mg/l methyl orange (100 mg catalyst) can reach 92.59% and 98.42%, respectively, which is significantly higher than that of commercial titania P25 (5.74% and 24.53%, respectively). In addition, the sample exhibits excellent recyclability and stability, which might be considered as a novel and facil scheme for modification of titania photodegradation driven by visible light.

Automated summary

In this study, C-TiO2 microspheres were synthesized using microwave-assisted solvothermal method and low-temperature heat treatment. The samples with different carbon content were obtained by varying the heat treatment temperatures. Characterization results showed that C-TiO2 samples consisted exclusively of anatase crystallites, and interstitial carbon and surface carbonate species were confirmed to be present, which significantly enhanced the photocatalytic activity under visible light. The degradation efficiency of methylene blue (40 mg/L, 200 mg catalyst) and methyl orange (10 mg/L, 100 mg catalyst) reached 92.59% and 98.42%, respectively, after 60 min of visible light irradiation at 5 W, which were significantly higher than those of commercial titania P25 (5.74% and 24.53%, respectively). Moreover, the sample exhibited excellent recyclability and stability, making it a novel and feasible approach for visible light-driven titania photodegradation modification.