Low temperature synthesis of water dispersible F-doped TiO2 nanorods with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Abstract

F-doped TiO₂ nanorods (F-TiO₂ NRs) were prepared through a simple hydrolysis of titanium chloride (TiCl₄) and a refluxing process at 100 °C and atmospheric pressure in the presence of sodium fluoride (NaF). The prepared samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis spectrophotometry and N₂ adsorption analysis. It is found that F⁻ ions are incorporated into the lattice of TiO₂ and absorbed on the surface of TiO₂ NRs. The NaF/TiCl₄ molar ratio is found to play an important role in the formation of the anatase F-TiO₂ NRs. When the molar ratio of NaF/TiCl₄ is 4.0/1.0, the prepared F-TiO₂ NRs show the highest photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV and visible irradiation, showing that F-TiO₂ NRs are efficient photocatalytic degradation catalysts of MB pollutant in wastewater treatment.