Enhancement of TiO(2) NPs Activity by Fe(3)O(4) Nano-Seeds for Removal of Organic Pollutants in Water

The enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of TiO(2) nanoparticles (NPs), synthesized in the presence of a very small amount of magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) nanoparticles, is here presented and discussed. From X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses, the crystallinity of TiO(2) nanoparticles (NPs) seems to be affected by Fe(3)O(4), acting as nano-seeds to improve the tetragonal TiO(2) anatase structure with respect to the amorphous one. Photocatalytic activity data, i.e., the degradation of methylene blue and the Ofloxacin fluoroquinolone emerging pollutant, give evidence that the increased crystalline structure of the NPs, even if correlated to a reduced surface to mass ratio (with respect to commercial TiO(2) NPs), enhances the performance of this type of catalyst. The achievement of a relatively well-defined crystal structure at low temperatures (T(max) = 150 °C), preventing the sintering of the TiO(2) NPs and, thus, preserving the high density of active sites, seems to be the keystone to understand the obtained results.