Microorganism-Templated Nanoarchitectonics of Hollow TiO<sub>2</sub>-SiO<sub>2</sub> Microspheres with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Degradation of Methyl Orange
Shenglan Liao,
Liqin Lin,
Jiale Huang,
Xiaolian Jing,
Shiping Chen,
Qingbiao Li
Affiliations
Shenglan Liao
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Liqin Lin
Department of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, College of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou 362000, China
Jiale Huang
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Xiaolian Jing
Department of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, College of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou 362000, China
Shiping Chen
Department of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, College of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou 362000, China
Qingbiao Li
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
In this study, hollow SiO2 microspheres were synthesized by the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) according to the Stober process, in which Pichia pastoris GS 115 cells were served as biological templates. The influence of the preprocessing method, the TEOS concentration, the ratio of water to ethanol, and the aging time on the morphology of microspheres was investigated and the optimal conditions were identified. Based on this, TiO2-SiO2 microspheres were prepared by the hydrothermal process. The structures and physicochemical properties of TiO2-SiO2 photocatalysts were systematically characterized and discussed. The photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) at room temperature under Xe arc lamp acting as simulated sunlight was explored. The result showed that the as-prepared TiO2-SiO2 microspheres exhibited a good photocatalytic performance.
