Synthesis of Titania Nanoparticle-Loaded Mesoporous Silica and their Photocatalytic Properties

Abstract

Titania nanoparticle-loaded mesoporous silica has attracted great attentions as a promising photocatalyst for the removal of organic pollutants. However, the synthesis methods still have to be optimized. In this study, titania nanoparticle-loaded mesoporous silica (SBA-15) was prepared using a layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly method. For comparison, the conventional method based on sol-gel reactions were used. Each sample photo-decomposed sodium dodecylbenzylsulfate. The photocatalytic performance of the LbL-synthesized samples was enhanced comparing to that of the sol–gel samples. After 5 h of UV irradiation, the total decomposition amount increased by approximately 63%–108%, and the apparent first-order rate constant increased about 2.4 times. They also exhibit higher photocatalytic efficiency during reusability tests. In the LbL-synthesized samples, the titania nanoparticles were mainly located on the outer surface of the silica, which facilitate effective photodecomposition than the sol–gel samples. The results can be helpful for the design of photocatalytic nanomaterials for environmental applications.