Preparation of NaLuF4:Gd, Yb, Tm-TiO2 nanocomposite with high catalytic activity for solar light assisted photocatalytic degradation of dyes and wastewater

A new nanocomposite NaLuF4: Gd, Yb, Tm-TiO2 photocatalyst was developed. Its morphology, size, crystalline phase, composition, absorbance and emission spectra were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, ultraviolet-visible absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation of dyes including rhodamine B (RhB), methyl blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO), dye mixtures and dye wastewater under simulated solar light irradiation were evaluated. The degradation ratios and the removal ratios of chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the dyes and dye wastewater after the photo-degradation were measured. The results show that the as-prepared nanocomposite exhibits high photocatalytic activity, and it can not only efficiently degrade single dyes, but also mixtures and dye wastewater.