Doping of commercial TiO2 nanoparticles (UV100) with urea and investigation of their photocatalytic activity in removing an environmental pollutant (C.I. Acid Red 27) under visible light irradiation

In this study, commercial TiO₂ (UV100) was doped with urea using an impregnation method, and its photocatalytic activity was evaluated under visible light irradiation. The characteristics of the doped nanoparticles were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), BET, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic activity of urea-doped TiO₂ (UV100) with various weight ratios and calcination temperatures was assessed through the photocatalytic degradation of C.I. Acid Red 27, a monoazo textile dye. The results indicate that urea doping enhances the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ (UV100) under visible light, primarily due to a reduction in the nanoparticles’ energy band gap. The highest photocatalytic activity was observed in TiO₂ (UV100) doped with urea at a 1:1 ratio and calcined at 350°C. Under visible light irradiation for 50 min, the removal efficiency of AR27 was 65% with pure TiO₂ (UV100) and 100% with doped TiO₂ (UV100).