Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Nanoparticulate LuVO₄ Prepared by Sol-Gel Method

Abstract

Using lutetium oxide, nitric acid, ammonium vanadate and citric acid as main materials, LuVO₄ was prepared by a facile sol-gel method. The gel of LuVO₄ was kept at 100 °C for 24 h to get the xerogel. Then, the xerogel was, respectively, calcined in muffle furnace at 500 °C, 600 °C, 700 °C and 800 °C to make single phase nanoparticulate LuVO₄. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The results showed that the pure LuVO₄ can be obtained through calcination at 700–800 °C. LuVO₄ had an average particle size of 100 nm and the band gap was 2.25 eV. The photocatalytic activities of LuVO₄ were investigated by methylene blue which was used as simulated sewage. Under visible light, LuVO₄ showed good photocatalytic degradation activity for degradation of methylene blue. This indicated that LuVO₄ has broad practical application prospects in the field of photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants.

Keywords:

• Sol-gel method
• LuVO₄
• visible light photocatalysis
• nanomaterials

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge the financial supports from National Training Programs of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Undergraduates (No. 201710347013).