Preparation and photocatalytic activity of Zr doped TiO2

Zr doped TiO2 photocatalyst was prepared using the sol-gel method with a mixed template of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and cetytrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at low temperature. The samples were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and the nitrogen adsorption experiment. Zr doped TiO2 photocatalyst showed a relatively elliptic shape with a size distribution of 9.5 +/- 0.5 nm. The average pore size and surface area were 4.95 nm and 138 m(2) g(-1) respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the binding energy of Zr 3d(5/2) electrons coincided with the Zr2O3. The Zr-O vibration band can be seen at 653 cm(-1) in the 8% Zr doped TiO2 before calcinations. UV-vis absorption spectra exhibited that the absorption edge of Zr doped TiO2 shifted to the lower energy region. The photocatalytic activity of samples was determined by using 3I(-) -> I-3(-) + 2e(-) as a model reaction. The results showed that the doping of TiO2 with zirconium showed the effect of increasing the photocatalytic activity and did not show any obvious effect in changing the crystal structure of anatase TiO2 in the scope that the content of zirconium in TiO2 was less than 8%.