Preparation of TiO2 hollow microspheres by a novel vesicle template method and their enhanced photocatalytic properties

Abstract TiO 2 hollow microspheres were successfully prepared via a novel vesicle template method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption and UV–vis absorbance spectra. It was demonstrated that TiO 2 hollow microspheres with diameter of about 1 μm were self-assembled by one-dimensional (1-D) TiO 2 nanorods. The photocatalytic property of TiO 2 hollow microspheres was investigated by decomposing methylene blue (MB) under simulated sunlight. The result shows that specific surface area of TiO 2 hollow microspheres reaches 155 m 2 /g and photocatalytic efficiency of these microspheres is higher than that of the commercial TiO 2 (Degussa P25). The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared TiO 2 microspheres here could result from their high specific surface area, the hollow structure and 1-D TiO 2 nanorod structure.