Electronic structure and optical properties of V-doped Bi4Ti3O12 nanoparticles

Pure and V5+-doped Bi4Ti3O12 (BTO) photocatalysts were prepared by sol-gel routine and subsequent hydrothermal synthesis. The samples were developed into the platelike microparticles with the exposed (001) facets. The crystalline phases were verified via the XRD measurement. The surface characteristics of the photocatalysts were studied by TEM, SEM, BET, EDX and XPS measurements. The UV-vis optical absorption spectra showed that the V-doped photocatalysts exhibit an obvious red shift in the visible light absorption band compared with the pure BTO. Rhodamine B (RhB) dye solution was used as the model organic pollutants to verify the influence of V-doping on the photocatalytic activity. The 10 mol % V-doped BTO showed efficient photocatalytic ability. The photocatalytic activities and mechanisms were discussed on the crystal structure characteristics and the measurements such as EES and XPS results. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.