Low temperature synthesis of visible light-driven vanadium doped titania photocatalyst

A simple method based on sol-gel method was developed to prepare vanadium ions doped TiO2 nanocrystalline at low temperature. Thus-obtained vanadium doped TiO2 was proved to be VxTi1-xO2 solid solution. Doping vanadium could enhance the formation of stable phase. Its optical absorption spectrum shows a red shift to 445 nm. Photodegradation experiments suggest that thus-prepared vanadium doped TiO2 nanocrystalline can be excited by visible light and is a good photocatalyst under daylight. These properties are the same as the vanadium doped TiO2 prepared under high temperature conditions (>= 350 degrees C). However, in the present work, the vanadium doped TiO2 crystal particle is very uniform and fine, about 5 nm. It is much smaller than the production prepared under high temperature. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.