Title:Photocatalytic Performance of the BaSn-based Nanoscale Materials for
the Organic Pollutants Enhanced by Sm (Er) Doping
Volume: 17
Issue: 2
Author(s): Xiaoyu Wang, Zizhan Sun, Feihu Tao, Xu Zhang and Lizhai Pei*
Affiliation:
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Ma’anshan, Anhui 243002, P.R. China
Keywords:
Sm (Er) doping, BaSn-based nanoscale materials, gentian violet, photocatalytic performance, Electron microscopy, organic pollutants.
Abstract:
Background: Sm (Er) doping is an effective strategy for enhancing the photocatalytic
activity of the semiconductor photocatalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants. BaSnbased
nanorods possess wide band gap energy, which limits the photocatalytic application. It is
important to research the feasibility of the improved photocatalytic performance of the BaSnbased
nanorods by doping with Sm (Er).
Objective: The aim is to synthesize Sm (Er)-doped BaSn-based nanoscale materials through a
simple hydrothermal process and research the photocatalytic performance of the Sm (Er)-doped
BaSn-based nanoscale materials for the gentian violet degradation.
Methods: Sm (Er)-doped BaSn-based nanoscale materials with a polycrystalline structure were
synthesized through a simple hydrothermal process. The Sm (Er)-doped composites were analyzed
by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, solid diffuse reflectance spectrum, X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
Results: Sm (Er) doping induces the morphological evolution of the BaSn-based nanoscale materials
from the nanorods to irregular nanoscale particles. Sm (Er) in the doped BaSn-based nanoscale
materials exists in the form of the cubic Sm2Sn2O7 and orthorhombic ErF3 phases. The
band gap value is decreased with increasing the Sm (Er) dopant contents. Sm (Er)-doped
BnSnbased nanoscale materials with the Sm (Er) content of 8wt.% have the lowest band gap and
show the strongest light absorption ability. Compared with the un-doped BaSn-based nanoscale
materials, the Sm (Er)-doped BnSn-based nanoscale materials exhibit higher photocatalytic activity
for the gentian violet degradation. 8wt.% Sm-doped BnSn-based nanoscale materials show the
highest photocatalytic activity for the degradation of the gentian violet. 20 mL gentian violet solution
(concentration of 10 mg·L-1) can be totally degraded using 20 mg 8wt.% Sm-doped BnSnbased
nanoscale materials under UV light illumination for 150 min.
Conclusion: The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the Sm (Er)-doped BnSn-based nanoscale
materials can be attributed to the decreased band gap, enhanced light absorption ability, and decreased
recombination of the photo-generated electron-hole pairs.