The effect of neodymium ion doping on the photocatalytic properties of nano-titanium dioxide

The nano-TiO₂ doped with Nd³⁺ have been prepared by chemical solution deposition on silicon substrates, followed by cathodic electrochemical process using neodymium nitrate solition as the Nd source. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed that the Nd³⁺-doped TiO₂ thin film has a nano-multi-crystal structure. With the increase of the neodymium content, the surface areas of Nd³⁺-doped TiO₂ thin film is larger and the grain diameter decreases, obviously. The existence of the doped element Nd increases the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂, and results in red shift of the absorption limit.The highest photocatalytic activity is achieved with the optimal dosage of neodymiumion at 1.2%.