Synthesis, Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Strontium (II)-Doped Titanium Dioxide Powders

Titanium dioxide powders modified with specific metal or metal oxide could be used as photocatalyst with visible light activity. In this work, different concentration of strontium (II) doped TiO2 photocatalyst powders were prepared from alkoxide solutions containing polyethylene glycol (PEG) via the sol–gel method and by calcination of a mixture of SrCl2‧6H2O and titanium dioxide sol solution. And they were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer – Emmett– Teller (BET)-specific surface area, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Ultraviolet–Visible (UVVis) spectroscopy. Sr2+ -doping in the TiO2 decreases the crystal grain size, increases the specific surface areas of powders, extends the absorption to visible light regions, and exhibits the vis-photocatalytic activity for methylene blue (MB) degradation. Appropriate content of Sr2+ -doping is an effective means to improve the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 for MB degradation under visible light irradiation.

Keywords: Titanium Dioxide, Sol-gel, Visible light, Photocatalyst.