Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2012, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (2): 354-359.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1088.2011.10835

• Research papers • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Polyacrylamide Gel Synthesis of BaTiO3 Nanoparticles and Its Photocatalytic Properties for Methyl Red Degradation

WANG Weipeng1,2, YANG Hua1,2,*, XIAN Tao1,2, WEI Zhiqiang2, MA Jinyuan2, LI Ruishan2, FENG Wangjun2   

  1. 1State Key Laboratory of Gansu Advanced Non-ferrous Metal Materials, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu, China; 2School of Science, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu, China
  • Received:2011-08-30 Revised:2011-10-25 Online:2012-02-20 Published:2015-07-27

Abstract: A polyacrylamide gel method was used to synthesize BaTiO3 nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy were adopted to characterize the sample. The results demonstrate that single-phase BaTiO3 nanoparticles can be prepared at a calcination temperature of 700 oC when using citric acid as the chelating agent at pH = 2. The prepared particles are regularly shaped like spheres with an average particle size of ~55 nm and have an optical bandgap energy of 3.25 eV. The photocatalytic properties of BaTiO3 nanoparticles were investigated using the degradation of the azo dye methyl red. The experimental results reveal that the nanoparticles exhibit a pronounced photocatalytic activity for the methyl red degradation under ultraviolet light irradiation, and the direct oxidation by the hole is suggested to be the main mechanism responsible for the dye decomposition.

Key words: barium titanate, nanoparticle, polyacrylamide gel method, photocatalysis, methyl red