Preparation of Ce–TiO2 catalysts by controlled hydrolysis of titanium alkoxide based on esterification reaction and study on its photocatalytic activity

The Ce–TiO2 catalysts were prepared by controlled hydrolysis of Ti(OC4H9)4 with water generated “in situ” via an esterification reaction between acetic acid and ethanol, followed by hydrothermal treatment. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic absorption flame emission spectroscopy (AAS), and nitrogen adsorption–desorption methods. Both of undoped TiO2 and Ce–TiO2 samples exclusively consist of primary anatase crystallites, which further form spherical aggregates with diameters ranging from 100 to 500 nm. The photocatalytic activity of Ce–TiO2 was investigated for the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RB) aqueous solution both under UV and visible light irradiation. Doping of Ce4+ effectively improves the photocatalytic activity under both UV light irradiation and visible light irradiation with an optimal doping concentration of 0.2 and 0.4%, respectively. The photocatalytic mechanisms of Ce–TiO2 catalysts were tentatively discussed.

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