Characterization and Photocatalytic Properties of Titanium-Containing Mesoporous SBA-15

Titanium-containing mesoporous SBA-15 (Ti−SBA-15) with various titanium contents were synthesized and characterized by means of N 2 adsorption, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV−Vis diffusion reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, 29 Si magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, and transmission electron microscopy in combination with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis techniques. The materials were also examined in terms of photocatalytic properties of the photodecomposition of Orange II in liquid phase. It was observed that a limited content of titanium can be incorporated into the silicate framework of SBA-15 without provoking structure changes. Anatase phase was observed on the external surface of the solid particles at high titanium loadings. In addition, the particle size of TiO 2 increased with increasing the titanium loading. Both TiO 2 nanoparticles and the titanium ions in the framework of Ti−SBA-15 possess photoactivity and the highest activity was observed on the sample with a Ti/Si ratio of about 0.09.