Rare Earth and Transition Metal Modified TiO2 Photocatalysts for Degradation of Methyl Orange

The transition metal Fe and rare earth La modified TiO(2)photocatalysts for degradation of methyl orange were prepared by a sol-gel method, and the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Photoluminescence (PL) techniques. The effects of doping elements (Fe, La) on the structure and performance of the experimental catalysts were evaluated. The crystallite sizes of TiO2 photocatalysts decrease with the addition of transition metal Fe and rare earth La while the contents of anatase phase increase. Moreover, the uniformly dispersed Fe and La in TiO2 increase concentrations of oxygen vacancy and defect on the catalyst surface. These factors account for their higher photoatalytic activity. The degradation rates can be increased by similar to 16% and similar to 22% respectively when adding Fe and La in TiO2. Particularly, rare earth La modified catalyst possesses better cyclic stability.