Physicochemical Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Reduced TiO₂ Prepared by Birch-Type Reduction.

A simple and fast reduction method of TiO₂ was developed by the Birch-type suspension reaction. The physicochemical properties of the reduced TiO₂ (r-R-TiO₂: reduced TiO₂ in rutile phase; r-AR-TiO₂: reduced TiO₂ in mixed phase of anatase and rutile) were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectrum, Raman spectrum, high resolution TEM, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements. The reduced TiO₂ showed the characteristic features in the crystallinity, lattice pattern, surface functional group and the biophysical properties of zeta potential and size. Under the reaction condition, the rutile phase of TiO₂ (R-TiO₂) was selectively reduced into r-RTiO₂ under the reaction condition. Finally r-R-TiO₂ showed photocatalytic activity on visible-light illuminated YD-38 cancer cells with high cytotoxicity.