Synthesis, characterizations and photocatalytic studies of mesoporous titania prepared by using four plant skins as templates

Anatase mesoporous titania with novel morphologies were synthesized by using the skins of tomatoes, bulb onions, grapes, and garlic bulbs, respectively, as templates and used for the photodegradation of Gentian violet, methyl violet, xylenol orange, and Rhodamine B under UV light. The samples were characterized by a combination of various physicochemical techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, SEM, HRTEM, N2 adsorption/desorption, diffuse reflectance UV–Vis, and FT-IR. It was found that all of the synthesized mesoporous titania samples exhibited similar morphologies to those of the original templates. The photoactivity of P25 TiO2 for the four dyes is nearly the same while the mesoporous titania samples synthesized by using the four skins as templates exhibited varied photoactivities for the four dyes.