The effect of pretreatment conditions on structural, morphological and catalytic properties of TiO2

The effect of pretreatment conditions in reductive and oxidative atmosphere on physicochemical properties and catalytic activity of TiO2 was studied. TiO2 was characterized using: XRD, SEM, TPR-H2, O2 and CO chemisorption methods, and tested in the reaction of CO oxidation in air. Experimental results indicated that the kind of pretreatment conditions has a significant influence on structural properties and activity of the studied oxide. It was claimed that pretreatment in hydrogen favors anatase → rutile transformation. Moreover, rutile was more easily reducible than the anatase phase despite its high thermodynamic stability. Catalytic tests showed that pretreatment in hydrogen enhances conversion of CO more than annealing in oxygen atmosphere.