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An Efficient Photocatalyst: Anodized TiO2 Nanotube Arrays Codoped with Gd–La

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Abstract

Gd–La codoped TiO2 nanotube arrays with diameter of 80–100 nm were successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal method and ion exchange by using anodized titanium oxide as a base reagent. The photocatalytic efficiency of the Gd–La codoped TiO2 nanotube arrays evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of organic dye methyl orange (MO) has been significantly enhanced by twice in comparison to that of the undoped TiO2. Abundant oxygen vacancies and surface defects created by the substitution of Ti4+ for La3+ and Gd3+ in their lattices can accelerate electron trapping and dye adsorption, therefore speeding the separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs and accelerating the MO photodegradation. The results display the obtained Gd–La codoped TiO2 nanotube arrays will be acted as a very promising photocatalysts for enhancing the photocatalytic activity.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Shanghai Committee of Science and Technology (13ZR1429300), the Shanghai Committee of Science and Technology (12nm0504800), the Basic Research Program of Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (13NM1401600) and the International Science and technology Cooperation Project of Shanghai (11520706100).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai, 200240, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaoqiu Zhang, Yuchao Chai & Dannong He

  2. National Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology, Shanghai, 200241, People’s Republic of China

    Lin Lin, Ke Zhang, Bin Zhao & Dannong He

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  1. Xiaoqiu Zhang
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  2. Yuchao Chai
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  3. Lin Lin
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  4. Ke Zhang
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  5. Bin Zhao
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  6. Dannong He
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Lin Lin or Dannong He.

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Yuchao Chai and Xiaoqiu Zhang are the joint first authors.

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Zhang, X., Chai, Y., Lin, L. et al. An Efficient Photocatalyst: Anodized TiO2 Nanotube Arrays Codoped with Gd–La. Catal Lett 144, 987–994 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-014-1208-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-014-1208-6

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