Silica supported TiO 2 nanostructures for highly efficient photocatalytic application under visible light irradiation

Abstract Titanium dioxide decorated silica nanospheres have been synthesized by a simple wet chemical approach. X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis revealed that anatase phase of TiO 2 nanostructures, with exposed {0 0 1} and {1 0 1} facets, are anchored onto the amorphous silica spheres of ∼60 nm diameter. The photocatalytic activity of the sample under visible light irradiation was examined. It is found that photocatalytic efficiency of the material is better than commercial P25 TiO 2 photocatalyst and the result is attributed to the unique synergistic effect of SiO 2 –TiO 2 nanocomposite structure resulting enhanced charge separation and charge transfer.