Ilmenite-type semiconductor Ni3TeO6: Preparation, optical property and photo-degradation ability

Ni3TeO6 semiconductor was synthesized by the sol-gel route. The crystalline phase was verified by XRD measurements together with Rietveld refinements. The surface morphologies were studied by TEM, SEM, EDX and XPS measurements. Ni3TeO6 semiconductor shows a high optical absorption for UV and visible light with a band gap of 2.48 eV characterized by the charge-transfer transitions of O2−→Ni-3d in UV and visible wavelength light. The photochemistry characteristic was investigated by the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye solutions driven by visible-light. The nanoparticles were efficient in photo-degrading organic dye solutions. The photocatalysis activity and the mechanism were discussed on its structural properties.