<span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA" lang="EN-US">La-doped TiO₂ hollow fibers and their photocatalytic activity under UV and visible light</span>

Abstract

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">A series of La-doped TiO₂ photocatalytic material with a hollow fiber structure has been successfully prepared using La(NO₃)₃·6H₂O and Ti(OC₄H₉)₄ as precursors and cotton fiber as the template. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption measurements, UV-vis diffuse absorption spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy have been used to characterize the morphology, crystal structure, surface structure and optical absorption properties of the samples. The photocatalytic activity of the samples with varying amounts of La-doped has been studied by photodegradation of methyl orange in water under UV and visible light. Results show that La doping restrains the growth of grain size and extends the photoabsorption edge of TiO₂ hollow fiber into the visible light region. The fiber structured material shows better photocatalytic properties for the degradation of methyl orange than pure TiO₂ under UV and visible light. The amount of La-doping significantly affected the catalytic property. Under the experiment conditions, the photocatalytic activity of 0.5 mol% La-doped TiO₂ fiber is optimal amongst the studied samples. The prepared La-doped TiO₂ fiber is a low energy consuming, high activity and green environmental-friendly catalytic material.</span>