Synthesis of magnetic mesoporous titania colloidal crystals through evaporation induced self-assembly in emulsion as effective and recyclable photocatalysts

Abstract

This study illustrates the directed self-assembly of mesoporous TiO₂ with magnetic properties due to its colloidal crystal structure with Fe₃O₄. The Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized using co-precipitation techniques to a size of 28.2 nm and a magnetic saturation of 66.9 emu g⁻¹. Meanwhile, mesoporous titania nanoparticles (MTNs) with a particle diameter of 373 nm, a specific surface area of 236.3 m² g⁻¹, and a pore size of 2.8 nm were prepared by controlling the rate of hydrolysis. Magnetic colloidal crystals (a diameter of 10.2 μm) were formed by the aggregation of Fe₃O₄ and MTNs caused by the interface phenomena during solvent evaporation in emulsion. Even the anatase octahedrite produced from the colloidal crystal after a hydrothermal reaction retained a magnetic saturation of 2.8 emu g⁻¹. This study also investigates the photodegradation activity of our synthesized material as a photocatalyst, while utilizing its capability for magnetic separation to prove its usefulness in catalyst recycling.