Abstract: Highly thermally stable anatase TiO₂ whisker has been synthesized by ion-exchange and calcination at high temperature (800^oC) using K₂Ti₂O₅ as the precursor. Pt nanoparticles (1%) were loaded on this TiO₂ to prepare a Pt/TiO₂ catalyst by the glycol-colloidal method. The catalyst samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray fluo-rescence, and N₂ adsorption-desorption measurements. Photocatalytic performance of the Pt/TiO₂ catalyst was measured by phenol degrada-tion. The catalytic activity of Pt/TiO₂ was 2.3 times that of TiO₂ whisker, and the activity on per unit surface area was high. The Pt/TiO₂ cata-lyst was stable after reuse 10 times, and it maintained 91% of its initial activity because the loss of Pt was only 6%.

Key words: platinum, titanium dioxide, whisker, photocatalysis, phenol, degradation