Design of ordered mesoporous H3PW12O40-titania materials and their photocatalytic activity to dye methyl orange degradation

A series of ordered mesoporous H3PW12O40/TiO2 composite materials with different H3PW12O40 loadings were prepared by an evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) route in the presence of a triblock copolymer surfactant. The materials exhibited 2D hexagonal p6mm symmetry and anatase phase structure with large BET surface area and uniform pore size as well as narrowed bandgap with respect to neat TiO2. The photocatalytic activity of the H3PW12O40/TiO2 materials was evaluated by the degradation of an aqueous dye methyl orange under solar simulating Xe lamp irradiation, and enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pure TiO2 was obtained for the samples with suitable H3PW12O40 loadings.