Sonochemical preparation of TiO2 nanoparticles in the ionic liquid 1-(3-hydroxypropyl)-3-methylimidazolium-bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide

Spherical shaped anatase nanoparticles (ø 5 nm) have been synthesized in the ionic liquid 1-(3-hydroxypropyl)-3-methylimidazolium-bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide from titanium tetraisopropoxide by ultrasound assisted synthesis under ambient conditions. XRD, EDX, TEM, XPS, Raman, UV–vis, PL and BET measurements have been employed for characterization of the nanostructure of as-prepared TiO2. XRD and Raman measurements both show that the obtained material is crystalline with anatase structure. The morphology of TiO2 nanoparticles was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The bandgap of the TiO2 nanocrystals estimated from XRD and UV–vis measurements is about 3.3 eV. The surface area of a typical sample is 177 m2 g−1. The synthesized anatase nanocrystals show good photocatalytic activity in the degradation of methylorange.