Tuning the porosity of TiO2 nanoparticles via surfactant-templated aerosol process for enhanced photocatalytic reactivity

Abstract In this work, we fabricated crystallite solid and porous TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) using a surfactant-templated aerosol process. Specifically, Brij-58 surfactant was employed as a template in TiO 2 matrix. The porosity of TiO 2 NPs was controlled by varying the amount of Brij-58. The effect of TiO 2 porosity on the photocatalytic reactivity was systematically examined. As a result, the highly porous TiO 2 NPs exhibited much better photocatalytic reactivity than the low porosity TiO 2 NPs. This suggests that the particle size, crystallite structure, and specific surface area play an important role in enhancing the photocatalytic reactivity of the TiO 2 NPs.