Effect of samarium (Sm3+) doping on structural, optical properties and photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles

The current work reports the hydrothermal preparation of pure TiO2 and Sm3+ ion-doped TiO2 nanoparticles and the influence of samarium ion doping in the TiO2 host lattice. The as-synthesized both pure and Sm3+-doped TiO2 nano samples were extensively characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and UV-VIS spectroscopy. XRD pattern reveals the crystalline size and phase of the nanoparticles and the formation of spherical morphology was confirmed by HR-TEM observation. The incorporation of Sm in TiO2 is confirmed by EDX. The optical properties of TiO2 and Sm3+:TiO2 nanoparticles have been studied using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy analysis. The addition of the dopant ion markedly increases the bandgap from 3.39 to 3.46eV. The photocatalytic activity of the crystalline as-synthesized nanoparticles was examined for the degradation of Rhodamine B induced by UV irradiation and the degradation efficiency is also reported.