Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) mediated synthesis of TiO2 with enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability

Improving photocatalytic activity and stability of titanium dioxide (TiO2) is crucial for its application in wastewater treatment. Incorporating polymer ligands into the synthetic process is an important way to improve the catalytic performance of TiO2. In this work, a water-soluble, non-toxic, and non-ionic polymer, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), was used to regulate the synthesis of TiO2 by using hydrothermal method. It was observed that PVP-regulated TiO2 had enhanced photocatalytic performance comparing with the pure TiO2, mainly due to the enhanced light absorption, the suppressed charge recombination efficiency, the increased oxidation power of photogenerated holes and specific surface area. Additionally, the catalytic stability of the catalyst was also improved. As a result, TiO2 assisted with PVP exhibited a significant improvement in catalytic stability after four cycles of methyl orange degradation. Our research results can provide experimental and theoretical basis for the development of photocatalysts with excel-lent stable catalytic performance.