Preparation of vitamin B12–TiO2 nanohybrid studied by TEM, FTIR and optical analysis techniques

Vitamin B12 (VB12) was applied to modify TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) for the first time. TiO2 NPs were synthesized via sol–gel method. In the next step, as-synthesized NPs were modified by VB12.Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy demonstrated the formation of primary bonds between NPs and VB12. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was also utilized to calculate the proportion of NPs to VB12. The percentage of VB12 gained was ~20 wt%. The band gap value decreased from 3.27 (TiO2) to 3.20 eV and the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RB) solution diluted in VB12–TiO2 NPs. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity increased from 3 to 6 cd. This is because the total pore volume raised about 18% by modifying TiO2 NPs; therefore, the photogenerated charge-carrier recombination rate increases by the VB12 loading.