Synthesis and characterisation of potassium polytitanate for photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet

Potassium titanate nanostructures were synthesised by hydrothermal treatment of TiO₂ (P25) in KOH and H₂O₂. As-produced powders were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption methods. Longitudinally-oriented-wire-like structures with a length up to several micrometres and diameters ranging from 10 to 30 nm were obtained. Larger size fibrous nanowires resulting fromthe hydrothermal treatment showed high affinity in adsorbing crystal violet (CV),whichwasmainly due to their high surface area. The photocatalytic bleaching of CV solution revealed that the wires are photoactive under ultraviolet light irradiation.Macroporous nanowires are considered as effective adsorbents of CV, capable of photocatalytic degradation, and they can be easily separated from the solution by settling.