Characterization and photocatalytic properties of lutetium ion-doped titanium dioxide photocatalyst

Lutetium-doped titanium dioxide (Lu-TiO2) was synthesized using a sol–gel method. The obtained compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction and electron paramagnetic resonance. The photocatalytic decomposition of adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) under UV irradiation was investigated to estimate the effect of the doped lutetium. Our results showed that the Lu-TiO2 nanoparticles have higher photoactivity than an undoped TiO2. Furthermore, the role of lutetium in Lu-TiO2, the structure of the photoreaction site on Lu-TiO2 and the reaction mechanism are also discussed.