A Hydrothermal Route to the Synthesis of CaTiO3 Nanocuboids Using P25 as the Titanium Source

CaTiO3 nanocuboids (width 0.3-0.5 mu m, length 0.8-1.1 mu m) have been synthesized by a hydrothermal route using commercial P25 as the titanium source. The as-prepared sample was systematically characterized by means of x-ray powder diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, field-emission transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the sample was evaluated by degrading rhodamine B under simulated sunlight irradiation. It is demonstrated that CaTiO3 nanocuboids exhibit superior photocatalytic activity when compared with CaTiO3 nanoparticles. By investigating the effect of scavengers on the dye degradation and the yield of hydroxyl ((OH)-O-center dot) radicals, it is concluded that AEOH is the dominant reactive species.