Effect of CMC and HPC mixture on the photocatalytic activity of Nd-TiO 2/SiO2 film under visible light irradiation

Abstract

Neodymium-titania/silica films were prepared by the sol-gel method with the addition of various amounts of hydroxy propyl cellulose (HPC) and 5.09 × 10-5 g g-1solution of carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) in saturated conditions. The porous Nd-TiO2/SiO2 was obtained after heat treatment for 2 h at 500° C, with the surface area up to 276 m2 g-1, which was measured using the Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the particle size of Nd-TiO2/SiO2 decreased and the microstructure of the film became loose in suitable conditions with the addition of CMC to HPC. Subsequently, the photocatalytic activity of Nd-TiO 2/SiO2 film under visible light irradiation was achieved to an optimum when the concentrations became 3.825 × 10-3 and 5.09 × 10-5g g-1sol. for HPC and CMC, respectively. © 2011 Tübïtak.