Abstract

Water is essential for the sustenance of all living organisms. There are many methods of water purification, and the most promising seems to be the use of nanotechnology. It has been found that titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) have photocatalytic properties which can be used for the degradation of organic pollutants in water. The light absorption of TiO2 NPs can vary with the morphology of the nanoparticles. TiO2 NPs have three different crystal forms: anatase, rutile and brookite. Past research showed that brookite-phase TiO2 NPs absorb low UV-light frequencies, have a higher surface area and have a higher reduction potential compared to the other morphologies of the nanoparticles. These properties make brookite phase TiO2 a better photocatalyst. This study consisted of the synthesis of brookite TiO2 NPs by hydrothermal synthesis at different pH. Precursor samples were set to have a pH between 7.00 and 12.96 with the objective to determine the effects that pH has on size and shape of the brookite TiO2 NPs. The samples were then characterized using the Scanning Electron Microscope FEI Quanta 450 (SEM) and the X-Ray Diffractometer MiniFlex II (XRD). It was observed that TiO2 anatase was formed up to 10.27 pH and TiO2 brookite was formed between pH 11.91 and 12.96. Based on the imaging obtained up to date, the size of both anatase and brookite seemed to increase as the pH increases; however, further in-depth studies should be performed.

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