Hydrothermal-assisted synthesis of sponge-like brookite for pseudo-Fenton decomposition of crystal violet under UV–light

Abstract In this report, brookite-titania nanosized structures were acquired using a two-step technique: hydrothermal treatment of carbon spheres impregnated with a titanium(IV) peroxo-complex solution and consequent heat treatment of the hydrothermal product in air for 4 h. The sample was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption analysis and dynamic reflection spectroscopy. The sample exhibits a sponge-like morphology with agglomerates varying from 0.25 to 1.7 μ m in diameter. These agglomerates consist of brookite nanoparticles with an average diameter of 30 nm. The obtained particles demonstrate high photocatalytic activity in the pseudo-Fenton oxidation of crystal violet (the overall process constant is 0.0234 min−1 with 86% removal efficiency) and, thus, they are promising candidates for the catalytic decomposition of organic substances in aqueous solution.