Junction effect on the photocatalytic activity of mixed-phase TiO2 nanoparticles

Active TiO2 photocatalysts were prepared under mild experimental conditions by thermohydrolysis of TiCl4 in pure water at 100 {degree sign}C. The preparation method is very simple and does not require the use of expensive thermal or hydrothermal treatments. Depending on the TiCl4/H2O ratio, pure rutile, binary mixtures of anatase and rutile or anatase and brookite, or ternary mixtures of anatase, brookite and rutile, can be obtained. 4-nitrophenol photodegradation was used to evaluate the photoactivity of the various powders. The high photocatalytic activity of the mixed samples was explained by the presence of junctions among different polymorphic TiO2 phases that allows an improved charge separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs, hindering their recombination.