TiCe0.667O3 particles: sol-gel synthesis, characterization, and kinetics of photocatalytic decomposition of diazo dye - Reactive Black 5 (RB5)

Abstract

In order to fulfill the need for research on the synthesis of mixed oxides based on cerium and their applications in heterogeneous photocatalysis, TiCe0.667O3 powders were successfully synthesized via sol-gel technique. The phase analysis and morphology of powder particles were studied by different techniques such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy-attached with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method was used for determination of specific surface area and zero point charge (pH(pzc)). Photocatalytic activities of the particles were studied under artificial UV radiation. The influence of experimental parameters, namely, the photocatalyst concentration, initial pH, and the light energy was investigated for photodegradation of reactive dye black 5 (RB5) taken as model molecule.