Fabrication of Yb-doped TiO2 using liquid phase plasma process and its photocatalytic degradation activity of naproxen

Photocatalysts responding to visible light were prepared by doping ytterbium (Yb) to TiO 2 powder by LPP method. Yb 2 O 3 nanoparticles were uniformly precipitated on the surface of TiO 2 powder, and when the precursor concentration was increased, the precipitated Yb 2 O 3 nanoparticles increased. The precipitated Yb element lowered the band gap energy of Yb-doped TiO 2 photocatalyst (YTP) by 0.07 to 0.14 eV compared to bare TiO 2 . YTPs degraded naproxen (NPX) better than bare TiO 2 , especially under blue LED light (maximum wavelength 470 nm), and YTP containing higher Yb elements showed higher decomposition activity. NPX was decomposed into CO 2 and H 2 O by decarboxylation and demethylation by hydroxyl radicals generated from TiO 2 photocatalysts, suggesting a degradation pathway based on the three intermediates detected by LC/MS analysis.