Comparative analysis of photocatalytic activity of aqueous colloidal solutions of ReVO4:Eu3+(Re = La, Gd, Y), CePO4:Tb, CeO2 and C60

• Photocatalytic activity of aqueous-colloidal solutions of orthovanadates, orthophosphates, cerium dioxide and fullerenes was investigated.
• Nanoparticles of rare earth orthovanadates and fullerenes induce formation of radicals in water.
• Nanocrystals of cerium dioxide inactivate radicals in water playing a role of radical sponge.

Photocatalytic activity of aqueous colloidal solutions of nanoparticles of different nature at UV-irradiation was determined. 2 nm GdYVO4:Eu, 8 × 25 nm GdVO4:Eu, 6 × 40 nm LaVO4:Eu, 2 and 9 nm CeO2, 5 × 10 nm CePO4:Tb and 62 nm С60 nanoparticles were used. Rare earth orthovanadate nanoparticles as well as fullerenes induce radical formation in water. It was shown that intensity of photocatalytic process increases with increase of the linear sizes of orthovanadate nanocrystals. Rare earth orthophosphate nanoparticles do not participate in photocatalytic processes at all. Cerium dioxide nanocrystals inactivate radicals in the water playing a role of a radical sponge.

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