Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Er2Ti2O7 Prepared by Sol-Gel Method

Abstract

In this article, the erbium nitrate pentahydrate (Er(NO3)3·5H2O), tetrabutyl titanate (C16H36O4Ti), glacial acetic acid (CH3COOH), and anhydrous ethanol (C2H5OH) were used as the main raw materials. The Er2Ti2O7 was successfully prepared by the sol-gel method. The structure and morphology of the samples were characterized by thermogravimetric-differential thermal analyzer (TG-DSC), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT­IR). The 10 mg/L methyl orange solution was used as a simulated pollutant under UV light conditions. The effects of different temperatures and light times on the photocatalytic performance of the Er2Ti2O7 samples were investigated. The results showed that the pure Er2Ti2O7 samples could be successfully prepared by calcination in the temperature range of 750–1000 °C. The average grain size of Er2Ti2O7 was about 20–60 μm, and the photocatalytic performance of Er2Ti2O7 samples calcined at 900 °C was the best. When the illumination time is 90 min, the degradation rate of methyl orange reaches to about 100%. The preparation of Er2Ti2O7 by the sol-gel method is a kind of ultraviolet light photocatalyst with wide application prospects.