Abstract:
Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide doped with the rare-earth element samarium were synthesized using the hydrothermal method. The synthesized particles were characterized using transmission and scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The bandgap of the obtained nanomaterials was determined based on the results of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photoluminescent properties of the doped titanium dioxide particles were investigated at an optical excitation wavelength of 473 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the particles was studied in the degradation reaction of methylene blue in an aqueous solution under ultraviolet irradiation. The samarium-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to the undoped sample. The increased activity of the particles is attributed to the formation of additional energy levels within the bandgap due to impurity-induced defects, which leads to a reduction in the recombination probability of charge carriers generated during the photocatalytic process. The results obtained in this study demonstrate the potential application of samarium-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles in photocatalytic applications, particularly for the removal of organic pollutants from aqueous environments.
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