Enhancement of photocatalytic activity in SrTiO3 with doping of MgO nanoparticles

Abstract

Abstract In recent years, photocatalytic activity (PA) using semiconductor nanoparticles has gained attention, especially with titanium dioxide (TiO2) due to its broad activity spectrum [1-2]. There are several applications for this technique, including the purification of water, control of air pollution, and soil gradation. In the present study, trace amounts of magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgONPs) have been doped in SrTiO3 ceramics to enhance PA. The MgONPs have been prepared using the sol-gel auto-combustion method during continuous stirring while heating at 70°C and in neutral conditions (pH=7.0). The MgONPs doped SrTiO3 ceramics with compositions of Sr1-xMgxTiO3 (x = 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15) have been synthesized by two-stage solid-state reaction at 900°C calcination and 1200°C sintering temperatures. Analyses of the samples are in progress using EDS, FESEM, XRD, and UV-visible techniques to identify the effects of doping on the structure of the samples.