Preparation and Photocatalytic Application of Terbium and Sulfur Co-doped Titanium Nanomaterials

Titanium-based nanomaterials co-doped with terbium (Tb) and sulfur (S) were fabricated by sol-gel method via a facile step. Physicochemical properties of the resulting composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Methylene blue (MB) was used as a degradation target for evaluating the photocatalytic performance. The factors which influence the photocatalytic activity were investigated, including calcined temperatures and S doping amount. Tb, S (2 wt%) co-doped TiO 2 composite calcined at 600°C exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity with a degradation rate of 72.4% in 3 h. The reaction constant was 0.11529, 0.26025, 0.35038, and 0.41462 h −1 for undoped TiO 2 , Tb-doped TiO 2 , S-doped TiO 2 , and Tb, S co-doped TiO 2 , respectively. Importantly, synergistic effect of terbium and sulfur dopants was profoundly discussed. Furthermore, recycling tests and acute toxicity experiments were carried out to confirm the reusability and biosafety of Tb, S co-doped TiO 2 .