Cerium and carbon-sulfur codoped mesoporous TiO2 nanocomposites for boosting visible light photocatalytic activity

Ce and C-S codoped mesoporous TiO 2 nanocomposites were synthesized via a sol-gel method integrated with an evaporation-induced self-assembly approach. The basic physicochemical characteristics of the synthetic samples were analyzed via a series of characterization techniques. The results reveal that C-S and Ce codoping on mesoporous TiO 2 enhance the photocatalytic activity owing to the synergistic effect caused by narrowing the band gap, enhancing adsorption, trapping and transferring the excited e – /h + pairs and suppressing the recombination of e – /h + pairs. Furthermore, the obtained C,S-TiO 2 /CeO 2 materials exhibit large specific surface areas and numerous pores which not only effectively improve the adsorption-enrichment capability, but also supply multi-dimensional mass and electron transfer channels. The photodegradation efficiency of RhB by C,S-TiO 2 /CeO 2 within 40 min is nearly 100%, and its degradation efficiency is 6.63 times that of undoped TiO 2 . Recycling experiments show that mesoporous C,S-TiO 2 /CeO 2 shows excellent recoverability and stability. Furthermore, by trapping experiments, •O 2 – , h + and •OH are the predominant active species and a possible reaction mechanism is proposed. Mesoporous TiO 2 photocatalyst codoped with C-S and Ce was successfully synthesized. C-S and Ce codoping can narrow the band gap of TiO 2 , and effectively inhibit the recombination of e – /h + pairs, resulting in a wider and stronger photoabsorption capacity, so as to significantly promote its photocatalytic activity. • C-S and Ce codoped mesoporous TiO 2 photocatalyst was successfully synthesized. • Multidoping can promote the separation and transfer of photoinduced e - /h + pairs. • Improved visible light absorption occurs as a result of C-S and Ce codoping. • Photocatalytic activity was boosted due to the synergy of C-S and Ce codoping.