Effect of Metal (Mn, Co, Zn, Ni) Doping on Structural, Optical and Photocatalytic Properties of TiO₂ Nanoparticles Prepared by Sonochemical Method.

Metal-doped TiO2 nanoparticles (Metal = Mn, Co, Zn, Ni) were synthesized by sonochemical method accompanying post calcination process using metallic nitrates of manganese, cobalt, zinc, nickel with various metal contents from 0-5 mol% and titanium isopropoxide as a starting precursors. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) base was used as a precipitating agent. The influence of ultrasound operated at 750 W 20 kHz on the crystalline structure of metal-doped TiO2 nanoparticles has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) while morphologies and grain size of the nanoparticles were monitored by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The optical absorptivities and corresponding band gaps were evaluated by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The performance of photocatalytic activities of metal-doped TiO2 nanoparticles against aqueous organic dye Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light was investigated. The results reveal that their crystallinity of synthesized metal doped TiO2 nanoparticles is in mixed phase between anatase, rutile and brookite with calcination temperature at 500 °C for 3 h and their crystalline of all samples are shown. The incorporation of metal dopant on the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 exhibits a significant enhancement in its photocatalytic activities under visible light due to the decrease in band gap energy of metal doped TiO2 nanoparticles.