Photocatalytic activity of TiO2:ln2O3 nanocomposite films towards the degradation of arylmethane and azo dyes

The photocatalytic activity of TiO2:ln(2)O(3) nanocomposite films derived from the mixed sols of individual oxides was investigated using a photodegradation of adsorbed arylmethane and azo dyes under UV illumination in contact with air. It has been shown that the photoactivity of TiO2:ln(2)O(3) films towards the destruction of polar dyes exhibits non-additive variations with Ti/In ratio and correlates well with the intrinsic hydrophilicity of nanocomposite films, whereas the photodegradation of non-polar dyes occurs most rapidly at pure titania. The observed effects are discussed in terms of different mechanisms of the photodegradation of probing dyes and inhomogeneity of photocatalyst surface. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.