Single-crystalline TiO2 nanorods: Highly active and easily recycled photocatalysts

Large-scale and single-crystalline anatase TiO2 nanorods were synthesized via hydrothermal reaction of H-titanate fibers. It was found that the pH plays an important role in the shape and crystal structures of the products by hydrothermal post-treatment of H-titanate fibers in acidic solutions. At pH 2–7, the pure anatase phase was formed and the samples reserved the rod-like morphology with a diameter of 20–200 nm, in contrast to the formation of particles with a mixture of rutile and brookite phases at pH 0. Photocatalytic experiments indicated that the obtained single-crystalline anatase TiO2 nanorods are highly active for photodegradation of organic pollutants. Furthermore, we demonstrated that these nanorod catalysts can be easily recycled without decrease of the photocatalytic activity.