Synthesis and visible light photocatalytic activity of porous CeO2-TiO2 composite powders

Synthesis and visible light photocatalytic activity of porous CeO2-TiO2 composite powders

Porous CeO2-20 wt.%TiO2 composite powders having a homogeneous distribution and nanocrystalline were successfully synthesized by a sol-gel process using titanium iso-propoxide and Ce(NO3)3·6H2O as precursors. The particle sizes of the asreceived porous CeO2-20 wt.%TiO2 composite powders were measured in the range from 0.3 to 10 μm by SEM. As the calcination temperature was increased up to 1050 oC, the porous composite powders having pores ranging from 0.1 nm to 3 μm in pore size were obtained. The pore frames of CeO2-20 wt.%TiO2 composite powders were less than 500 nm thick and they were nanocrystalline with a dense structure. From a comparison of the photocatalytic activity, the porous CeO2-20 wt.%TiO2composite powders calcined at 900 oC showed an excellent efficiency for the removal of phenol under UV light. However, in the powders calcined at 600 oC, there was a relatively higher photocatalytic activity than that of other powders under visible light. Hence this sample had a strong edge band at a blue-green wavelength range.

Porous CeO2-20 wt.%TiO2 composite powders having a homogeneous distribution and nanocrystalline were successfully synthesized by a sol-gel process using titanium iso-propoxide and Ce(NO3)3·6H2O as precursors. The particle sizes of the asreceived porous CeO2-20 wt.%TiO2 composite powders were measured in the range from 0.3 to 10 μm by SEM. As the calcination temperature was increased up to 1050 oC, the porous composite powders having pores ranging from 0.1 nm to 3 μm in pore size were obtained. The pore frames of CeO2-20 wt.%TiO2 composite powders were less than 500 nm thick and they were nanocrystalline with a dense structure. From a comparison of the photocatalytic activity, the porous CeO2-20 wt.%TiO2composite powders calcined at 900 oC showed an excellent efficiency for the removal of phenol under UV light. However, in the powders calcined at 600 oC, there was a relatively higher photocatalytic activity than that of other powders under visible light. Hence this sample had a strong edge band at a blue-green wavelength range.