A comparative study on characterization and photocatalytic activities of gadolinium–boron codoped and mono-doped TiO2 nanoparticles

Abstract

Gadolinium–boron codoped and mono-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared using a sol–gel method, and tested for photocatalytic activity by the UV light after a further calcination process. For comparison, a pure TiO2 sample was also prepared and tested under the same conditions. The prepared catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and UV–Vis spectra. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated through the photo-degradation of three different dyes under UV light. The experiments demonstrated that the gadolinium–boron codoped TiO2 (Gd–B–TiO2) sample calcined at 500 °C possessed the best photocatalytic activity, and the photodegradation rate of the Reactive Brilliant Red K2G aqueous solution could reach to 95.7% under UV irradiation for 80 min. The results showed that Gd–B–TiO2 has smaller crystallite size and higher photocatalytic activity than that of mono-doped TiO2 samples and undoped TiO2.