title: Photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles: effect of thermal annealing under various gaseous atmospheres.
abstract: The structure, composition and photocatalytic activity of TiO(2) nanoparticles  annealed in various gas atmospheres (N(2), NH(3) and H(2)) were studied in this work. The effect of treatment on crystal structure, particle size, chemical composition and optical absorbance were assessed by means of x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and diffuse optical reflectance/transmittance measurements, respectively. Photocatalytic properties of the materials were evaluated by three different methods: degradation of methyl orange in water, killing of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and photogeneration of radicals in the presence of 3-carboxy-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl pyrrolidine-1-oxyl (PCA) marker molecules. The results indicate that the correlation between pretreatment and the photocatalytic performance depends on the photocatalytic processes and cannot be generalized.
authors.affiliation: Technical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Chemical-Biological Centre, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anjana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: Andrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shchukarev
authors.forename: Anne-Riikka
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Leino
authors.forename: Krisztian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kordas
authors.forename: Jyri-Pekka
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mikkola
authors.forename: Pavel O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Petrov
authors.forename: Elena S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Tuchina
authors.forename: Alexey P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Popov
authors.forename: Maxim E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Darvin
authors.forename: Martina C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Meinke
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lademann
authors.forename: Valery V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Tuchin
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D002384:Catalysis; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000737:chemistry; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010782:Photolysis; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001391:Azo Compounds; D005609:Free Radicals; D005740:Gases; C009495:titanium dioxide; C100258:methyl orange; D014025:Titanium