Abstract
Several rare earth (RE)-doped TiO2/Sepiolite (RE-TiO2/Sep) photocatalysts were prepared via microwave-hydrothermal treatment using six different types of RE ions: La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Eu or Gd. The obtained nanocomposites were characterized by using XRD, SEM and TEM techniques. The results revealed that the structures of the nanocomposites were significantly dependent on the radius of the RE3+. Since the radius of RE3+ is much larger than that of Ti4+, the doped RE species were not incorporated into the matrix of TiO2 but rather lie in the grain junctions and boundaries of titania. By forming the Ti-O-RE bonds, the crystallite growth of titania can be inhibited owing to the relatively larger radii of RE3+ ions.
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