Highly Active Rutile TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanocrystalline Photocatalysts
Veljko Djokić, Аleksandar Marinković, Rada Petrović, Ovidiu Ersen, Spyridon Zafeiratos, Miodrag Mitrić, Colin Ophus, Velimir Radmilović, Djordje Janaćković
Abstract
The controllable synthesis of rutile TiO2 single crystal particles with the preferential orientation of {111} facets still remains a scientific and technological challenge. Here, we developed a facile route for fabrication of rutile TiO2 nanorod crystals (RTiO2NRs) having high ratios of oxidative {111} to reductive {110} surfaces. RTiO2NRs were synthesized using a peroxo–titanium complex (PTC) approach, which was controlled by changing the Ti/H2O2 ratio. The thus obtained RTiO2NRs revealed a high tendency to agglomerate through orientation-dependent attachment along the {110} facets. This resulted in an increased {111}/{110} surface ratio and led to a markedly improved photocatalytic activity of RTiO2NR aggregates. The reported findings illustrate the rich potential of the herein proposed facile and energy-efficient synthesis of nanostructured rutile TiO2-based photocatalysts.