Precursor and reaction time effects in evaluation of photocatalytic properties of TiO₂ nanoparticles synthesized via low temperature

TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel method under low temperature via short crystallization time. The samples morphology, crystal size, specific surface area, pore size and particle size were significantly changed by varying the precursor concentration and the reaction time. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated by measuring the degradation of methyl orange under a 150W xenon lamp and compared to the photocatalytic activity of Degussa P25. Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray diffraction results show samples had uniform morphology, well crystalline structure and having the anatase phase. The maximum photocatalytic activity was achieved for the samples with the higher concentration of precursor (S2). The higher surface area and smaller crystal size played important roles in the degradation of the organic pollutants.