PREPARATION AND PHOTOCATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF Fe3+-DOPED TiO2 NANOPARTICLES

Abstract

The Fe3+-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel method in an aqueous solution at a temperature of 160 °C. The effect of particle size, Fe3+-doping and dosage on the photocatalytic activity of the nanoparticles was investigated. The synthesized Fe3+-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, powder X-ray diffraction and dynamic light scattering. The nanoparticles had irregular shapes, and the primary size of particles was approximately 100 nm. Though the Fe3+-doping did not change the crystal structure of TiO2, but it had significant affect on their photocatalytic properties. 0.5 % Fe3+-doped TiO2 had the best photocatalytic performance. The particle size of Fe3+-doped TiO2 samples also influenced its photocatalytic activity.