Microstructure, Chemical Bonds, and Photocatalyst Activity of Neodymium-doped Strontium Titanate (Sr0.97Nd0.03TiO3) with 900°C and 1000°C Sintering Temperature

Abstract

Strontium Titanate is a perovskite oxide with remarkable properties as a photocatalyst. The synthesis of Strontium Titanate material with Neodymium doping (Sr0.97Nd0.03TiO3) has been completed by means of the co-precipitation procedure. Samples were sintered at temperatures of 900°C and 1000°C for 4 hours to investigate their properties. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV-Vis Spectrophotometer were employed to observe the microstructure, chemical bonds, and photocatalyst activity of Sr0.97Nd0.03TiO3. XRD data exhibited that the crystal size enlarged from 42.3 nm and 64.4 nm as the sintering temperature increased. FTIR data revealed strong Sr-Ti-O bonds and decreased C-H and C=H bond impurities as the sintering temperature increased. The photocatalytic performance was evaluated with methylene blue (MB) dye degradation by UV light irradiation for 3, 4, and 5 hours where the UV-Vis spectrophotometer tested the absorbance of the degraded MB. The results exhibited that Sr0.97Nd0.03TiO3 achieved the optimal degradation (62.7%) at 900°C and with 3 hours of irradiation.