Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange Using Nanosized TiO2 Photocatalyst Doped with Cerium

Nanosized titanium dioxide particles doped with rare earth element cerium were prepared by sol-gel method. Particle size and photocatalytic activity was characterized by X-ray Diffraction and Ultraviolet-visible light spectroscopy. Treatment of Methyl orange wastewater using prepared TiO₂ photocatalyst was studied and some factors which affected the photocatalytic result were discussed. Ce-doped TiO₂ exhibited a remarkable enhancement of the photocatalytic activity compared with the pure TiO₂. When Ce/Ti moral ratio was 1.5%, the pH value of simulative methyl orange wastewater was 3, and the photocatalyst concentration in wastewater was 2.0g/L, the removal rate of Methyl orange could reach up 78 % under the 40W power of UV light irradiation for 240 minutes.