Synthesis of Vanadium (III) Doped Anatase TiO2 by Solid State Reaction Method

Abstract

Anatase of Titanium dioxide (TiO<sub>2</sub>) was doped with vanadium ions (V<sup>3+</sup>), at doping levels ranging from 0.3, 0.5 to 0.7 atomic percentage in order to increase its photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. Vanadium doped TiO<sub>2</sub> was synthesized by solid state reaction method. Its physicochemical properties characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Doping with V(III) resulted in a single phase structure of anatase TiO<sub>2</sub> with nanosize crystal ranging from 53.06 to 59.59 nm. Vanadium doping also resulted in a red-shift of the photophysical response of TiO<sub>2</sub> that was reflected in an extended absorption in the visible light between 400 and 700 nm.