Preparation, characterization and application of phase-pure anatase and rutile TiO 2 nanoparticles by new green route

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is used in a range of applications such as photocatalysis and sensor devices. In this work, TiO 2 nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs) in the crystallographic forms anatase and rutile were prepared by the green route. The method involves dissolving titanium oxysulfate (TiOSO 4 ) powder in hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) solution and subsequent thermal treatment of the resultant amorphous precipitate. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to follow the structural evolution of the amorphous precipitate, and microstructure analysis was realized with Rietveld refinement. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of the synthesized TiO 2 NPs was evaluated by studying the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye. The highest photocatalytic activity was observed for TiO 2 obtained at 600 °C in the crystallographic form anatase.