Photocatalytic degradation on Disperse Blue with modified nano-TiO2 film electrode

Sol-gel and dip-coating methods were used to prepare the modified nano-TiO2 film electrode; its photocatalytic and electrochemical properties were investigated under both UV light and sunlight for the degradation of Disperse Blue. The results showed that the effect of co-doping metal and non-metal ions was better than that of single metal ion doping or no doping. Y-F co-doping could better take advantage of sunlight so as to decrease the energy gap of semiconductor and to improve the utilization of visible light, while Ce-F co-doping served to separate photo-generated h (+) /e (-) pairs, which resulted in better degradation of dye under UV light. The grain size of prepared electrode was from 15 to 25 nm, and nano particles were arranged smoothly as well as closely with each other, confirming to be an effective binder. The final decolorization extents reached 44.43% under sunlight and 96.86% under UV light within 30 min, respectively.