Preparation, characterization, and photocatalytic activity of boron and lanthanum co-doped TiO2

•B–La–TiO2 photocatalysts were prepared by sol–gel method.•B–La–TiO2 had a significant red shift tendency than pure TiO2.•B–La–TiO2 showed excellent visible light driven photocatalytic performance.

TiO2 particles co-doped with boron and lanthanum (B–La–TiO2) are prepared using the conventional sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction analyses indicate that with the increase in doping ratio, the crystalline structure transforms from mixed phase to single anatase phase. Different surface morphologies of the as-prepared samples are observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The photocatalytic performance is investigated by photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange, the results show that the co-doped TiO2 decomposed 98% of the organic dye within 90 min. Compared with the undoped TiO2, the co-doped catalysts have a remarkable catalytic activity.

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