Facile synthesis of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles using titanium metal and its enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light

Abstract

A green sol-gel method was employed to synthesize TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) using titanium metal. The syn-thesized TiO2 NPs underwent comprehensive characterization using techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS) to evaluate their structure, morphology, and spectral properties. By adjusting the amount of oxalic acid, tailored physico-chemical properties of anatase TiO2 catalysts were achieved. The obtained TiO2 catalysts demonstrated a high surface area, excellent absorption, and remarkable photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation. This enhancement is primarily contributed by the large surface area and oxygen vacancies.