The photo-catalytic activities of neodymium and fluorine doped TiO2 nanoparticles

A series of photo-catalysts were synthesized by neodymium and fluorine doped TiO₂, and their characteristics evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV–vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Neodymium and fluorine doped TiO₂ has obvious absorption in the visible light and the absorption edge shifts toward red wavelength. In addition, compared with pure TiO₂, the doped catalyst has intense absorption at 528, 587, 750, 808, and 881 nm. The catalytic efficiency was tested by monitoring the photo-catalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) in visible light and ultraviolet light. The results showed that the optimum doping content was Nd:F:TiO₂ = 0.5:5:100 (molar ratio) heat treated at 500 °C, and the reaction rates of MB degradation were estimated to be about 1.76 times and 1.45 times higher than undoped TiO₂ in ultraviolet light and visible light.