Fabrication of TiO₂ Capsules Using Diatoms as a Template and Their Photocatalytic Performance

Porous TiO2 capsules in diameters of 10 μm were obtained through a simple infiltration of titanium salt followed by calcination process. Microstructure characteristics of TiO2 capsules and its degradation performance of methylene blue in visible light were also studied. The results revealed that the prepared TiO2 capsules possessed porous structure, large specific surface area and nitrogen left by diatom. The enhancement in photocatalytic degradation performance of methylene blue could be attributed to the doped nitrogen contained in the original diatom and porous structure.