Assessment of Methyl Orange Dye Degradation via Low-temperature Hydrothermal TiO\(_2\) Nanospheres Synthesis

Abstract

Photocatalytic degradation of dyes is an important issue in environmental science and pollution research. The dyes present in water are highly toxic, carcinogenic, and xenobiotic towards living organisms. Herein, titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) were synthesized by a surfactant-templated hydrothermal technique at low temperature (75°C) for photocatalytic uses. TiO₂ NPs were investigated for their structural, optical, and photocatalytic capabilities using FT-IR, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A nanocrystalline structure and nearly regular spherical form were confirmed by the structural investigation of a polycrystalline tetragonal anatase TiO₂ phase.  It was discovered that the produced TiO₂ NPs have an energy bandgap value between 4.42 and 4.46 eV, resulting in a photodegradation efficiency of 81% to 88% under UV visible light.