Photocatalytic activity of La³⁺-doped TiO₂ synthesized via sol-gel method

La³⁺-doped TiO₂ samples were synthesized via sol-gel method using titanium tetraisopropoxide as inorganic precursor. The X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray phototoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and nitrogen adsorption measurements were used to characterize the samples. Doping with La³⁺ inhibited the transformation of anatase phase to rutile during calcination treatment and the growth of crystallite size. XPS analysis confirmed the presence of La³⁺in the form of La₂O₃ on the surface of TiO₂. The photocatalytic activity of La³⁺-doped TiO₂ samples was investigated in terms of decolorization and degradation efficiencies of Acid Orange 7 (AO7) dye. It was found that doping with La³⁺ enhanced the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂. The performance of doped samples was also evaluated using synthetic dye-bath effluent of AO7. Solar-driven La³⁺-doped TiO₂ photocatalysis was found significantly efficient for the decolorization and degradation of AO7.