Ultrasonic-assisted sol-gel method of preparation of TiO2 nano-particles: characterization, properties and 4-chlorophenol removal application

Nano-size TiO2 photocatalysts were prepared by sol-gel and ultrasonic-assisted sol-gel methods using two different sources of ultrasonicator, i.e., a bath type and tip type. The physicochemical characteristics of the catalysts were investigated by BET, XRD and TEM analyses and the photocatalytic properties of the TiO2 catalysts prepared by three different methods were compared. The intrinsic and extrinsic properties of TiO2, such as the particle size, surface area, pore-volume, pore-diameter, crystallinity as well as anatase, rutile and brookite phase ratios, could be controlled by the ultrasonic-assisted sol-gel method. During this preparation method, the effect of such important operating variables as the ultrasonic irradiation time, power density, the ultrasonic sources (bath-type and tip-type), magnetic stirring during synthesis, initial temperatures and size of the reactors are discussed here. It was found that each of the parameters played a significant role in controlling the properties of the TiO2 nano-particles. Among the three different methods, TiO2 photocatalysts prepared by ultrasonic (tip-US) assisted sol-gel possessed the smallest particle size, highest surface area and highest pore-volume than the catalysts prepared by the other two methods. 4-Chlorophenol was used as a pollutant to observe the photocatalytic degradation ability of the prepared photocatalysts and the TiO2 catalysts prepared by the bath-US ultrasonic-assisted sol-gel method were shown to be the most highly active. This is due to their high surface area and high pore-diameter. This study clearly demonstrates the importance and advantages of ultrasonication in the modification and improvement of the photocatalytic properties of mesoporous nano-size TiO2 particles.