Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of mesoporous SiO₂- TiO₂

Mesoporous SiO₂-TiO₂ was synthesized by the sol-gel method using Si(OC₂H₅)₄, Ti(OC ₂H₅)₄, and stearyltrimethylammonium chloride. By using acetylacetone as the capping agent of Ti(OC₂H ₅)₄, homogeneous SiO₂-TiO₂ composite was obtained. Spherical mesoporous SiO₂-TiO₂ was also synthesized by the sol-gel method using W/O emulsion under microwave irradiation. The specific surface area of these mesoporous SiO ₂-TiO₂ materials decreased when the Ti/Si molar ratio was higher than 0.1, which indicated that Ti was homogeneously distributed in mesoporous SiO₂ matrix at Ti/Si≤0.1. The photocatalytic activity of mesoporous SiO₂-TiO₂ materials was investigated by the degradation of methyleneblue in water under UV light irradiation. Mesoporous SiO₂-TiO₂ was effective for the adsorption-decomposition of methylene-blue.