Preparation of GdCoO₃ by Sol-Gel Method and Its Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract

Using gadolinium nitrate, cobalt acetate, citric acid as main raw materials, GdCoO₃ was successfully prepared by sol-gel method. The prepared samples were characterized by thermogravimetric differential scanning analysis (TG-DSC), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR). Using methyl orange solution as simulated sewage, it was investigated that the effects of synthesis temperature and illumination time on photocatalytic activity of GdCoO₃. The results show that the pure cubic perovskite GdCoO₃ samples can be prepared at calcination temperature of 700 °C to 1000 °C. The GdCoO₃ calcined at 900 °C has uniform particles and an average grain size of about 0.5 μm to 1 μm. The photocatalytic performance of GdCoO₃ calcined at 900 °C sample was the best. Under the condition of UV-light for 120 min, the photocatalytic degradation rate of methyl orange reached more than 96% in presence GdCoO₃ calcined at 900 °C. This indicates that GdCoO₃ has good photocatalytic performance.

Keywords:

• GdCoO₃
• sol-gel method
• photocatalysis
• simulated sewage

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Huzhou Science and Technology Plan Project (2020GZ02), Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program (project name: Preparation of rare earth cobalt salt GdCoO₃ and its photocatalytic properties), and the South Taihu Education Leading Talents Project of Huzhou.