Synthesis of natural fiber templated high surface area nano-structured TiO2 and its application in photocatalysis

Abstract

Photocatalytic degradation of various organic pollutants under irradiation of light is possible by using TiO2 as a photocatalyst. Activity of TiO2 mainly in the UV range makes it necessary to modify TiO2 by doping in order to impart activity in the visible region. We report here a wet chemical synthesis of S doped TiO2 and Pure TiO2 hollow tube structures by depositing precursor on Kapok fiber and Banana Fiber used as sacrificial templates. The doping of elemental sulfur is done, so that the synthesized material exhibits photocatalysis under visible light. The most advantageous features of this process are cost effectiveness, less time consumption, eco-friendliness and simplicity. The use of Kapok fiber and Banana fiber as template for the synthesis provides the condition for facile crystallization and growth of TiO2 nanostructures in a single step process. Although at a temperature more than 600 0 C, rutile phase starts to form, in this synthesis even at 750 0 C of calcination temperature purely anatase phase was present. Another important feature of this synthesis method is that the hollow tubular structures obtained ensures high specific surface area. This synthesis process of nanostructures of TiO2 thus can be considered for industrial production. The prepared material was characterized using XRD (X-Ray Diffractometer), Raman Spectroscopy, FESEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy), EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectrometer), UV-Spectroscopy, BET (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller), TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis). Photocatalytic study of the synthesized material was done by degradation of Methylene Blue under the irradiation of visible light. High activity of S-doped TiO2 under visible light was found.