SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERISATION OF W-, Ag-, AND W/Ag- CO-DOPED TITANIA NANOPOWDERS, AND THEIR PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY.

Tungsten, silver, and tungsten/silver co-doped titaniananopowders were synthesised via an aqueous sol-gel method. The dried gels were thermally treated at 2 different temperatures, and the occurrence of the amorphous phase was assessed, using the combined Rietveld-RIR method, on the X-ray powder diffraction data. Systematic studies of the crystal structure and of the optical properties of the powders - made with diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) - were performed. The energy band gap was calculated using the differential reflectance method; their morphology was investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses (FE-SEM and TEM, respectively). The photocatalytic activity of the samples was assessed in liquid-solid phase, under UVA-light and visible-light irradiation, monitoring the degradation of an organic dye. The influence of the phase composition, optical properties, dimensions, and specific surface area of the powders on the photocatalytic activity was thoroughly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]