Synthesis and Properties of Mesoporous TiO2 Using Nano-cellulose Template Prepared by Alkali Method

Mesoporous TiO2 was synthesized by a hydrolysis-precipitation method using biological renewable resources of nano-cellulose as template and using TiCl4 as precursor. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 was investigated by the degradation of phenol under ultraviolet light irradiation. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis, and N-2 adsorption-desorption were used for catalyst characterization. The results showed that TiO2 synthesized with alkali nano-cellulose template exhibited high activity under UV irradiation. The material had average size of about 13.5 tun in diameter and exhibited mesoporous structure with specific area of 176 m(2)/g and average pore size of 6.17 nm. The addition of alkali nano-cellulose template can retard phase transformation. The higher photocatalytic activity was attributed to the small grain size, more pores, and higher specific surface area of the catalyst.