Preparation and photocatalytic properties of strontium titanate powders via sol-gel process

On the basis of our previous work, we developed a new type of catalyst (e.g. photocatalysts) to degradate nitrogen oxides (NO_x). Recently, a series of photocatalysts such as strontium titanate (SrTiO₃) were prepared by sol-gel method, their photocatalytic activities of NO degradation were also studied. The obtained samples were characterized by differential thermal analysis and thermal gravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The as-prepared photocatalysts have a perfect perovskite structure, and pure samples can be obtained when the corresponding sol-gel precursors were calcined at 600 °C in muffle. With the temperature increasing, the grain size of SrTiO₃ samples grew large steadily and the crystallinity became better. The optimal synthesis of SrTiO₃ was determined to be 700 °C calcination. Our current experiments indicated that some parameters such as lamp-house, calcinations temperature had a strong effect on the designed photoreaction, the concentration of nitric oxide at 716 mg/m³, the degradation rate of nitric oxide can increase above 92%.