title: Synthesis of the double-shell anatase-rutile TiO2 hollow spheres with enhanced photocatalytic activity.
abstract: A novel double-shell TiO2 hollow sphere with an inner anatase shell and an outer rutile shell was synthesized by a simple sol-gel method and silica protected calcination process. The structure and formation mechanism was proposed based on characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The double-shell spheres have a uniform diameter of 360 nm and a typical yolk-shell structure. Moreover, the double-shell TiO2 hollow spheres possess a large specific surface area (169 m(2) g(-1)). Due to the high surface area, multiple light reflection and beneficial electron conduction between the inner anatase and outer rutile shell of this special structure, the as-prepared double-shell TiO2 catalysts show remarkably enhanced photoactivity compared to the commercial P25 catalyst. In particular, rhodamine B molecules can be completely decomposed in the presence of the double-shell spheres after 60 minutes of irradiation with UV light. In addition, the high activity is retained after five cycles, indicating the stability and reusability of the double-shell catalyst.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry & Environmental Science, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou, China363000. shunxing_li@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Shunxing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Fengying
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Yancai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fuying
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang