title: Photocatalytic activity of TiO2 doped with boron and vanadium.
abstract: Boron (B)- and vanadium (V)-doped TiO(2) photocatalysts were synthesized using modified sol-gel reaction processes and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and N(2) physisorption (BET). The photocatalytic activities were evaluated by monitoring the degradation of methylene blue (MB). The results showed that the materials possess high surface area. The addition of B favored the transformation of anatase to rutile, while in the presence of V, anatase was the only phase detected. The MB degradation on V-doped TiO(2) was significantly affected by the preparation method. In fact while the presence of V in the bulk did not influence strongly the photoreactivity under visible irradiation, an increase of surface V doping lead to improved photodegradation of MB. The degradation of MB dye indicated that the photocatalytic activities of TiO(2) increased as the boron doping increased, with high conversion efficiency for 9mol% B doping.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Scientifico e Tecnologico, Università di Verona, and INSTM, UdR Verona, Ca' Vignal, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy. marco.bettinelli@univr.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bettinelli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dallacasa
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Falcomer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fornasiero
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gombac
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Montini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Romanò
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Speghini
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D001895:Boron / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D010777:Photochemistry; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014639:Vanadium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D014639:Vanadium; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium; D001895:Boron; D008751:Methylene Blue