Photocatalytic response of bio-engineered nano-TiO2 via Adansonia digitata leaves’ natural extract

High purity Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles were bio-synthesized for the first time via a natural extract of Adansonia digitata leaves indigenous to Africa. For their crystallization & phase transitions, the nanoparticles were thermally oxidized in air for 2 h at annealing temperatures of 700, 800, and 900 °C. The XRD patterns showed well-defined peaks of anatase and rutile phases, while the FTIR revealed peaks at 498 and 753 cm−1 assigned to vibrational modes of the Ti-O and the Ti-O-Ti groups respectively. TEM analysis revealed spherical shape nanoparticles with averaged grain sizes estimated at 3.94, 29.15, and 45.4 nm for TiO2 700, TiO2_800, and TiO2_900°C respectively. Furthermore, the Adansonia digitata leaves assisted TiO2 nanoparticles showed a significant photodegradation ability of 92% within 120 min towards methylene blue dye.