Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of rutile TiO2 by analysis of the surface potential and fluorescence

Rare earth (RE) (La3+, Ce4+, Pr3+, Nd3+, Sm3+, Eu3+, Gd3+, Tb3+, Dy3+, Er3+, Tm3+ and Y3+) doped rutile phase TiO2 were prepared by low temperature one step synthesis and used as photocatalyst. The RE doped rutile phase TiO2 were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Particle Size, zeta potential, UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectrum. The results show that the RE have been doped into the rutile TiO2 crystal lattice successfully. It was analyzed that main crystal phase was rutile phase TiO2 in XRD. It shows that we can get micrometer-size rutile phase TiO2 and RE doped TiO2 by one-step method. Particle Size indicate that we can get micrometer-size rutile TiO2 and RE doped rutile TiO2 by one-step method. The results of zeta potential of RE doped rutile TiO2 explain RE how to change the photoelectric activity by increase the lattice defect. The results of FS show that RE how to influence on the electron transition and the electron trap of rutile TiO2. These results indicate that RE can enhanced photocatalytic degradation of rutile TiO2.