Biotemplate synthesis of porous titanium oxide fiber and study on its photocatalytic performance

Abstract Medium speed filter paper is applied as biotemplates to synthesize biogenic-TiO2. Through one step infiltration process in titanium-chloride-ethanol solution, followed by washing with ethanol, white sheets was obtained after calcination. Unique bio-morphic film-anatase-titania with diameter of ca. 1-3 μm were synthesized and characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray Diffraction Spectroscopy (XRD) and so forth. The results showed that the products were composed 2-6 nm piled pores stacked by polycrystalline nanoparticles with sizes about 10 nm which arranged on the surface of biomorphic titania. The specific area of the sample was 71 m2/g. While the concentration of helianthine solution is 20 mg/L, catalyst amount 0.1 g/L, the reaction had a higher decoloring rate following irradiation with a UV light source, the decoloring rate can reach over 100% after 150 min.