Photocatalytic characteristics of homogeneously precipitated TiO2 nano-sized powders

The rutile phase TiO2 powder having nanosized acicular primary particles and 180 m2/g of specific surface area was prepared by homogeneous precipitation process at ambient or very low temperatures below 100°C (HPPLT). Comparing the photocatalytic characteristics of both the HPPLTed and P-25 titanium dioxide powders, the HPPLTed TiO2 powder, in spite of its rutile phase, has a higher photocatalytic reaction rate than the P-25 powder in the metal removal from the aqueous metal-EDTA solutions. The reason for the higher photocatalytic reaction of the HPPLTed TiO2 powder is that the nanostructured HPPLTed powder has a larger specific area as well as very thin thickness in the acicular primary particles.