The effect of surface OH-population on the photocatalytic activity of rare ea…

Abstract. Commercial TiO2 (P25, from Degussa) was modified with variable amounts of La, Ce, Y, Pr, Sm (generally rare earth (RE)), by thermal treatment of physical mixtures of TiO2 and the nitrates of the various RE. Doping of P25 with RE, combined with calcination at 600 or 800 ◦C, yields materials with surface areas ranging from ∼10 to 50 m2/g, and an anatase to rutile phase ratio ran…