Convenient synthesis of TiO₂ nanowires with anatase phase for high photocatalytic activity

Organic pollutants pose a serious threat to human health, and so their control by photocatalytic techniques has become an important field. There is an urgent need to devise convenient syntheses of effective photocatalysts for the degradation of contaminants. Here, high-performance anatase TiO2 nanowires have been obtained through a hydrothermal method followed by calcination at different temperatures in Ar. The products have been characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, and UV/Vis DRS measurements. The photocatalytic performances of the as-prepared catalysts in the degradation of rhodamine 6G (R6G) have been evaluated. The experimental results revealed that as-prepared TiO2 nanowires calcined at 600 °C (TNWs-600) exhibited the highest degree of R6G degradation (96%) under simulated solar irradiation. This could be attributed to their stable anatase phase with good photocatalytic activity, the excellent light absorption ability of which favors excitation. Overall, the fabricated TNWs-600 constitute a promising candidate material for photocatalytic applications in the removal of environmental pollutants.