Cathodic Co-electrodeposition of Fe~(3+)-doped TiO_2 Thin Films and Their Photocatalytic Activity under Visible Light

A novel cathodic co-electrodeposition (CCED) method for the preparation of Fe3+-doped TiO2 thin film (Fe-TiO2) was studied. The thin film photocatalysts of Fe-TiO2 containing different amounts of Fe3+ were prepared by the CCED, wet impregnation and sol-gel methods. The photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), specific surface area measurements, SEM-EDS and UV-vis absorption spectra. In the three types of photocatalysts, the photocatalysts obtained by CCED not only have a more homogeneous distribution of Fe3+, but also have the largerst specific surface area and the photodegradation activity than those obtained by the other two. In addition, the experimental results show that there is a synergetic effect of photosensitization and photocatalytic in RhB degradation.