Rapid microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of Bi12TiO20 hierarchical architecture with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activities

Flower-like Bi12TiO20 hierarchical nanostructures composed of numerous nanobelts were synthesized at 180 degrees C within 1 h by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) for the first time. The as-prepared products were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy. Furthermore, the hierarchical Bi12TiO20 nanostructures exhibited higher photocatalytic activities in the degradation of Rhodamine B under visible-light irradiation than that of the samples prepared without CTAB. In addition, the role of CTAB cationic surfactant has been investigated thoroughly and a possible mechanism is proposed. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.