TiO2 mesocrystals: Immobilisation, surface fluorination and application in photocatalytic water treatment
Bingyu Lei, Neil Robertson
Abstract
Immobilised TiO2 mesocrystals were prepared on sanded glass substrates via a solution synthesis of immobilised precursor, followed by a thermal treatment which triggered a topotactic conversion reaction. The obtained mesocrystals possessed not only anatase nanoparticles with high surface area and co-exposed {1 0 1}/{0 0 1} facets but also large overall particle size and strong binding to the substrate inherited from the immobilised precursor. The unique structural features make the material a promising candidate as a high-efficient and separable photocatalyst. The thermal treatment parameters were also demonstrated to be crucial for adjusting the structural or surface properties and thus the photocatalytic performance of the immobilised TiO2 mesocrystals.