Synthesis of Mixed Phase nanoTiO₂ particles & Their Application in Photocatalytic Water Decontamination

Abstract

A green, sustainable hydrolytic precipitation process is used to synthesize different blends of intrinsically heterostructured (mixed phase) titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs). NPs are evaluated for the decontamination of organic and inorganic pollutants. The NPs are characterized for their morphological, semiconductor and photocatalytic properties. As organic compound, methyl orange was used to evaluate the mixed phase TiO2 NPs through adsorption and photo-oxidation, while selenium (IV and VI) species were the inorganic pollutants of interest, removed by adsorption and photo-reduction. A comparative assessment of photocatalytic effectiveness of different nanoTiO2 varieties is presented revealing contrasting behavior between organic and inorganic removal, while exemplifying the importance of tuning phase composition, as per intended application.