Structure and photocatalytic activity of Ti3+ self-doped TiO2 flower shaped nanospheres

Ti3+ self-doped TiO2 flower-like nanosphere photocatalyst was prepared by solvothermal method using ethylene glycol and titanium trichloride as raw materials. The composition, structure and morphology of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), BET and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The experiment result indicated that the samples were self-doped with Ti3+, and the nanosheets (4-5 nm thickness) were self-assembled to form flower nanospheres with a specific surface area of 191 m(2)/g. Methylene blue (MB) of 2 x 10(-5) mol/L was utilized as the simulated degradation target. The experiment result showed that the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of Ti3+ self-doped TiO2 reached 96.5% and 99% under 60 min and 120 min illumination respectively.