Synthesis and Photocatalytic Activity of Nano Eu₂O₃/TiO₂ in the Degradation of Methylene Blue in Aqueous Solution

Van Tien Mai, and Le Thi Hai Le

Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam

Abstract: Eu₂O₃/TiO₂ catalyst nanocomposite materials were synthesized from tetra-n-butyl orthotitanate, rare earth oxide Eu₂O₃ by a sol gel method, with a polyvinyl alcohol gel agent. Characteristic structures and properties were determined by infrared (IR) spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The composition and ingredients of Eu₂O₃/TiO₂ and the Ti/Eu ratio were shown in the XRD diagram and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) fluorescence spectroscopy. The results of testing the photocatalytic properties of the material to treat methylene blue (MB) with a concentration of 20 ppm in water for processing efficiency reached over 92.7%. The obtained materials, namely photochemical catalyst materials, can be applied in the field of environmental treatment, especially photochemical catalytic decomposition catalysts in visible light to treat textile wastewater and organic pollutants in water, as well as bactericidal effects.

Key words: photocatalytic, oxide of Eu₂O₃, TiO₂, oxidation, methylene blue in aqueous solutions, wastewater