Effect of titanium-tetraisopropoxide concentration on the photocatalytic efficiency of nanocrystalline thin films TiO 2 used for the photodegradation of textile dyes

Abstract

The photocatalytic activity of nanocrystalline TiO 2 is a result of many factors, including the concentration, surface area, grain distribution and crystal phase. In this study, the effects of the concentration of titanium-tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) on the crystal structure, optical and the structural properties, such as homogeneity, surface area, crystal size, grain size and grain distribution, was studied using the following techniques: X-ray diffraction (XRD), Environment Scanning Electron Microscopy (E-SEM), Brunauer Emmette and Teller analysis (BET), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of the TiO 2 thin films synthesized for this study were investigated by their ability to decolour an aqueous solution of two common textile dyes: Reactive Blue19 and Reactive Yellow17. © 2012 ElsevierLtd.Allrightsreserved.