Au-RE-TiO2 nanocomposites. surface characteristics and photoactivity

Photocatalysts based on TiO2 co-doped with rare earth metal (RE) and gold nanoparticles have been prepared using a sol-gel method and followed by gold reduction. Specific surface areas of the modified photocatalysts were calculated by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method (BET). Diffuse reflectance spectra of the obtained photocatalysts were recorded with a UV-Vis spectrophotometer (DRS UV-Vis). The influence of the type of rare earth metal on photoactivity of Au-RE-TiO2 nanocomposites in model reaction manifested by toluene photodegradation in a gas phase was investigated. The obtained results showed that photodegradation of toluene in the gas phase is possible over Au-RE-TiO2 irradiated by UV or Vis light. The Au-RE-TiO2 photocatalysts relative to undoped TiO2, did not caused an increase of toluene degradation in the air under visible light. The samples doped with Er3+ or Pr3+ presented the highest activity in solar light among of Au-RE-TiO2. It was observed that both metal dopants affected the surface area of TiO2. The Au-RE-TiO2 photocatalysts relative to undoped TiO2 exhibited the absorption properties under Vis light.