Ionic liquid-assisted synthesis of morphology-controlled TiO2 particles with efficient photocatalytic activity

Abstract

An ionic liquid-assisted synthesis route is proposed for the synthesis of anatase TiO₂ particles. Flowerlike TiO₂ particles, TiO₂ nanosheets and porous TiO₂ aggregates can be controllably synthesized by the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM]Ac). The photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) molecules is investigated among the synthesized TiO₂ particles in comparison with the commercial Degussa-P25 TiO₂. In particular, the as-prepared TiO₂ nanosheets exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity, which is higher than the commercial Degussa-P25 TiO₂, demonstrating their promising application towards the degradation of organic molecules. Thus, the present work provides a facile route for the synthesis of TiO₂ particles with efficient photocatalytic activity.