Sonochemical synthesis and photocatalytic activity of meso- and macro-porous TiO2 for oxidation of toluene

Meso-and macro-porous TiO2 were synthesized by ultrasonic induced solvothermal method. Octadecylamine as a soft template was used to direct the formation of porous structure. The as-prepared porous TiO2 was characterized by low angle and wide angle X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms and BET surface area. The energy influence of ultrasound and heat and concentration of nitric acid for post extraction on formation of porous structure were investigated. The photocatalytic activities of TiO2 were investigated by degrading toluene gas under UV light. The results revealed that proper energy facilitates the formation of porous structure and too low concentration of nitric acid cannot extract template from pores. The photocatalytic activities of TiO2 with porous structure are higher than those of nonporous ones.