Ce3+ Doped TiO2 Nanoparticles; Synthesis and Photocatalytic Activity

This paper deals with the synthesis of pure and Ce3+ doped TiO2 nanoparticles and study of their photocatalytic activity. A sol-gel auto-combustion method was adopted for preparation of the samples. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) techniques. XRD patters of 0.5 mol% Ce3+ doped TiO2 obtained by calcination at 600°C indicated that the samples were crystalline with broad peaks of anatase phase. The anatase particles had an average size of about 13.5 nm and high surface area 171.45 m2/g. The phase transformation from anatase to rutile began at 700°C of calcination. The photocatalytic activity of samples was investigated in presence of UV light for photodegradation of cango red dye at different Ce3+ concentrations and heat treatment temperature. Ce3+ ions doping significantly enhanced the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 towards the degradation of dye. The photodegradation tests indicated the optimum conditions; calcination temperature 600°C, irridation time 30 min, pH of dye solution 3, catalyst dosage 200 mg/L, dye dosage 100 ppm at which photodegradation dye approaches to about 100%. In this study, 0.5 mol% may be the most suitable Ce3+ ions concentration in TiO2 at which catalyst exhibits a large surface area and higher efficiency of electron/hole separation.