Photocatalytic activity of TiO2 prepared by different solvents through a solvothermal approach

In this work, TiO2 was prepared by different solvents through a solvothermal approach using tetrabutyl titanate as raw material, afterward the samples were calcined at 723 K. The samples were investigated by Brunauer -Emmett-Teller (BET) method, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance (UV–Vis DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS). The photocatalytic activity of the samples was investigated using rhodamine B (RhB) as a model contaminant. TiO2 prepared using ethanol as solvent has the best photocatalytic performance under irradiation of 500 W Xe lamp. Compared with the samples without calcination, all samples after calcination display significantly improved photocatalytic performance, which can be tightly attributed to the enhanced separation of photoinduced carriers and relative high surface hydroxyl content. [Display omitted] •TiO2 was prepared by different solvents through a solvothermal approach.•The separation efficiency of the carriers has been significantly improved after baking.•Surface hydroxyl content has been enhanced after baking.•TiO2 prepared using ethanol as solvent shows relative high activity.