Characterization and photocatalytic activity of vanadium-doped titanium dioxide nanocatalysts Available to Purchase

The vanadium (V)-doped mesoporous titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles with V/Ti ratios from 0–2 wt% were prepared using sol-gel method in the presence of triblock polymers, Pluronic F127. SEM images showed that the V-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles were porous structures. The surface areas and pore sizes were in the range 85–107 m²/g and 12–14 nm, respectively. From XRPD, the V-doped mesoporous TiO₂ after calcination at 500°C was mainly anatase phase, and the crystallite sizes were in the range 14–16 nm. TEM images showed that vanadia was doped both on the surface and in the lattice of anatase TiO₂. A slight red-shift in wavelength absorption was observed when V/Ti ratio increased from 0 to 2 wt%. Addition of vanadium ion slightly decreased the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ toward the decolorization of MB under the illumination of UV light at 305 nm. However, a 1.6–1.8 times increase in rate constants for MB photodegradation was observed when 0.5–1.0 wt% V-doped TiO₂ was illumined by solar simulator at AM 1.5. These results demonstrated that the doping of low concentrations of V ion into mesoporous TiO₂ enhance the photocatalytic activity of mesoporous TiO₂ towards photodecomposition of azo dye in the visible range.