Microorganism-Templated Nanoarchitectonics of Hollow TiO(2)-SiO(2) Microspheres with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Degradation of Methyl Orange

In this study, hollow SiO(2) 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, TiO(2)-SiO(2) microspheres were prepared by the hydrothermal process. The structures and physicochemical properties of TiO(2)-SiO(2) 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 TiO(2)-SiO(2) microspheres exhibited a good photocatalytic performance.