Evaluación y caracterización de nanotubos de TiO2 sintetizados por vía hidrotérmica con aplicación en ingeniería de materiales.

Titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO2-NTs) have drawn inward attention in recent years due to their wide range of properties such as electrical, optical, photocatalytic activity, and biological compatibility, among others. In this work, TiO2 nanotubes with an average diameter between 65-100 nm were synthesized via hydrothermal method and were characterized chemically, physically, and biologically (SEM, XRD, FTIR and in vitro culture), and another structure, like nanosheets and microtubes, can be found as well employing this processing route. Synthesis conditions such as pre-treatment of precursors, NaOH concentration, and reaction time were studied through two experimental designs to obtain the best morphologies and sizes. A growth mechanism was proposed to understand the formation of nanotubes. Finally, the material obtained was used as a catalyst in the photodegradation of the azo dye Orange II, obtaining a response surface that predicts a 97% degradation at a pH value of 8, with an H2O2 concentration of 1.5 g / L and an initial dye concentration of 25 ppm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]