Preparation of three-dimensionally interconnected meso/microporous titania nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalytic activity

The precursor was prepared by cohydrolysis reactions of tetraethyl titanate and europium ethoxide around micelles of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide processed by ultrasonic. Anatase nanoparticles with three-dimensionally interconnected meso/microporous pores were prepared using a sol–gel routine. The multimodal porous structure was observed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy and N2 adsorption–desorption analysis. The material prepared displays a pore width distribution curve of multipeaks at 1.4 nm, 3.2 nm, 9.3 nm, 13.7 nm, 34.1 nm and 50.0 nm, and possesses a specific surface area of 116 m2/g and a porosity of 0.51 cm3/g. The material prepared possesses three-dimensionally interconnected meso/microporous structure which is conducive to mass transfer and light-harvesting and shows a photocatalytic activity for phenol is about 3.8 times that of Degussa P25.