Fabrication and characterization of TiO2/short MWNTs with enhanced photocatalytic activity

TiO2/short MWNTs nanocomposites were prepared by the sol-gel method using butyl titanate and short MWNTs as starting materials in the solvent of isopropyl alcohol. Their photocatalytic activity in the degradation of X-3B was studied. The effects of mass ratio of short MWNTs to butyl titanate, and heat-treatment temperature on the photoactivity of TiO2/short MWNTs nanocomposites were discussed. For comparison purpose, other photocatalysts were also employed in the photodegradation experiment. Thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-Vis absorption spectra were utilized to characterize the prepared photocatalysts. The results showed that the TiO2/short MWNTs nanocomposites synthesized with 1% mass ratio of short MWNTs to butyl titanate had the best photoactivity. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.