Characterization of structural, optical and photocatalytic properties of yttrium modified hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanocatalyst

Abstract

Hematite has the advantages of a suitable band gap, high stability, low cost, and environmental protection, and is considered as one of the most ideal photocatalytic semiconductors in the field of iron-based. In this experiment, pure α-Fe2O3 and Fe2O3 nanoparticles doped with yttrium ion (xY-Fe2O3, x = 0.1, 0.4, 0.7, 1.0, and 1.3%) alone were prepared by a simple and environmentally friendly hydrothermal method to investigate the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of pure and different concentrations of doped α-Fe2O3 for MB dyes. The synthesized products were further confirmed and the photocatalytic performances of pure and single-doped specimens were assessed by XRD, SEM, XPS, FT-IR, UV–vis, and PL. The prepared nanospheres were found to be around 100 nm by SEM test. With the increase of yttrium concentration, the band gap of the specimens reduced from 2.09 to 2.07 eV, and the degradation rate added from 53.8% to 74.1%. The doping of 1.0% yttrium ions significantly affected the photocatalytic performance of α-Fe2O3. This is due to the result that the doping of yttrium ions generates additional impurity energy levels, decreases the band gap, and causes a significant decrease in the complexation rate of α-Fe2O3 photogenerated electron-hole pairs, improving the carrier generation and transport. In addition to this, the probable mechanism for the improved photocatalytic properties is discussed and analyzed.