Optical and photocatalytic properties of TiO2 with hollow nanostructure

The effect of hollow nanostructure of TiO2 on the degradation of organic compounds and optical transmittance in the visible-light range was investigated. TiO2 hollow nanoparticles (HNP) consisting of a mixed phase of anatase and rutile in the ratio of 6:4, had a mean size of 70 nm and shell thickness of 5–7 nm. Spectrophotometry study showed that the transmittance of hollow particles was less than 30% in the wavelength range of 320–800 nm. Also, degradation experiment revealed hollow particles exhibited relatively poorer degradation compared to that of commercial P25 powder. These results indicate that movement of electron and light propagation can be affected by the hollow nanostructure.