Synthesis and Catalytic Peoperties of TiO_2/Nd_2Zr_2O_7 Nanocomposites

TiO2/Nd2Zr2O7 composites were synthesized by a sol-gel method.The composites were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction(XRD),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer(EDS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) nitrogen adsorption,respectively.The results show that TiO2 is uniformly coated on the surface of Nd2Zr2O7 particles,and the coated amount is 50.36 wt.%.The specific surface area of TiO2 /Nd2Zr2O7 composites was 25.62m2/g,which was greater than that of Nd2Zr2O7 nanocrystals(3.48m2/g).These results could favor the catalytic activity of the composites.The photocatalytic property was evaluated via the photodegradation of methyl orange.It was indicated that TiO2 /Nd2Zr2O7 composites had a superior photocatalytic activity.The photodecomposition amounts of methyl orange catalyzed by Nd2Z2O7,TiO2 and TiO2 /Nd2Zr2O7 for 20 min were 20.1%,70.7% and 88.2%,respectively.