Eu–TiO₂ Nanocomposite with High Photoelectrochemical Activity for Enhanced Photocatalysis of Rhodamine B

Abstract

A novel Eu-TiO₂ nanocomposite prepared by a sol-gel method is used for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) present in dyes wastewater. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) show the anatase phase and globular shape of Eu- TiO₂ nanocomposite, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and low temperature N₂ adsorption (BET) indicate Eu-TiO₂ possesses a narrow band gap (2.98 eV) and a high specific surface area (112.1 m² · g^-1), respectively. Furthermore, the prepared Eu-TiO₂ exhibits unprecedented higher photocatalytic activity towards RhB than P25 TiO₂. The degradation ratio of RhB is up to 93% within 100 min irradiation of simulated solar lights by the obtained Eu-TiO₂, which demonstrated firstly by the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. The high photocatalytic performance may be ascribed to the efficient Eu loading in favor of the absorption of visible-light and the separation of photogenerated charges.