Influence of different aluminum salts on the photocatalytic properties of Al doped TiO(2) nanoparticles towards the degradation of AO7 dye

Three kinds of Al-TiO(2) samples and pure TiO(2) samples were synthesized via a modified polyacrylamide gel route using different aluminum salts, including Al(2)(SO(4))(3)∙18H(2)O, AlCl(3), and Al(NO(3))(3)∙9H(2)O under identical conditions. The influence of different aluminum salts on the phase purity, morphologies, thermal stability of anatase and photocatalytic properties of the as-prepared Al-TiO(2) nanoparticles were studied. The energy gap (Eg) of Al-TiO(2) nanoparticles decreases due to Al ion doping into TiO(2). The photocatalytic activities of the Al-TiO(2) samples were investigated by the degradation of acid orange 7 dye in aqueous solution under simulated solar irradiation. The Al-TiO(2) nanoparticles prepared from Al(NO(3))(3)∙9H(2)O exhibit the best photocatalytic activity among the four kinds of samples, followed in turn by the Al-TiO(2) nanoparticles prepared with AlCl(3), Al(2)(SO(4))(3)∙18H(2)O and pure TiO(2). The different performances are attributed to complex effects of Eg, particle size, surface morphology, phase purity and the defect sites of the Al-TiO(2) nanoparticles.