Synthesis and Properties of Nano-Rutile TiO2 Photocatalysts

Nano-rutile TiO2 photocatalysts with bigger specific surface area were prepared by a hydrolysis method at 323 K, and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and photoelectrochemical (PEC). The ultraviolet (UV) and visible light photocatalytic activities of as-prepared rutile and anatase TiO2 nano-photocatalysts with almost same specific surface areas were evaluated by methyl orange (MO) as mode compound to photocatalytic reaction. The results of the photocatalytic experiment shows that when rutile and anatase have the similar specific surface area of similar to 95 m(2) . g(-1), the UV light photocatalytic activity of rutile is comparable to that of anatase, while rutile shows significantly higher visible light photocatalytic activities than anatase. The photoelectrochemical experiment shows that the order of photocurrent densities of the catalysts from weak to strong is in accordance with the order of UV light photocatalytic activities of the catalysts from low to high under UV light irradiation.