Effect of Erbium Ions Doping on the Properties and Photocatalytic Acitvity of Bi₁₂TiO₂₀

Abstract

An erbium ion doped Bi12TiO20 was prepared by a simple method. XRD and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) were used to characterize the prepared photocatalysts. The results indicated that the erbium ion dopant had no influence on the phase of Bi12TiO20 and can extend its visible light adsorption spectra. Photocatalytic activities of the prepared samples were evaluated using methyl orange as a model organic compound. The results showed that doping with 0.5 mol% Er3+ can significantly improve the photocatalytic performance of Bi12TiO20.