Influence of Ti-O-Si hetero-linkages in the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B

The influence of Ti-O-Si hetero-linkages in the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye over TiO2-SiO2 xerogels is exemplified by XPS analysis. We demonstrate a relationship between the percentage surface content of Ti-O-Si and the rate of photocatalytic degradation of RhB. Our detailed surface investigation revealed that the overall degradation of RhB is enhanced due to the high surface percentage content of Ti-O-Si species, high crystallinity of titania phase, and its effective dispersion on a high surface area porous silica support. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.