Photocatalytic and Conductivity Studies of Bi3+Substituted La2Zr2O7

Abstract

ABSTRACT Trivalent bismuth substituted La2Zr2O7 pyrochlores of compositions La2-xBixZr2O7 (x = 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6) have been prepared by sol-gel method. All the samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, and SEM-EDS. These materials were found to crystallize in cubic lattice with space group . The unit cell parameters were deduced from the Rietveld refinement. The dc conductivity of all samples was measured in the temperature range 200–700°C. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were studied against methylene blue decomposition under sunlight. La2-xBixZr2O7 compounds showed enhanced photoactivity compared to La2Zr2O7.