Heterogeneous photocatalytic decomposition of benzene on lanthanum-doped TiO2 film at ambient temperature.

Lanthanum-doped anatase TiO2 thin films on glass prepared via a sol-gel process have been shown to have much higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of gaseous benzene than pure anatase TiO2 thin film. The photodecomposition of benzene on both types of TiO2 films follows the first-order kinetics while the CO(2) and CO formation followed the zero-order kinetics. GC/MS identification of the intermediates produced during the photodegradation of benzene revealed that doping lanthanum into TiO2 thin film favors a cleavage of benzene ring. An optimal lanthanum amount with respect to photocatalytic activity was about 2.5 wt% (La2O3/TiO2).