Preparation of Y 2 O 3 /TiO 2 -Loaded Polyester Fabric and Its Photocatalytic Properties under Visible Light Irradiation.

In this study, Y 2 O 3 /TiO 2 -loaded polyester fabric was prepared to improve the catalytic activity of the TiO 2 and to increase its reuse efficiency. The samples were systematically characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Furthermore, the degradation performance of methyl orange in the presence of simulated visible light irradiation was also investigated. The results showed that the TiO 2 in the Y 2 O 3 /TiO 2 composite photocatalyst was suitably anatase. In addition, Y 2 O 3 /TiO 2 -loaded polyester fabric had higher photocatalytic performance than that of pure polyester fabric under visible light and the degradation rate reached 83% after 120 min of light exposure but remained above 50% after repeated exposure (three times). Compared to the pure polyester fabric, Y 2 O 3 /TiO 2 -loaded polyester fabric had self-cleaning effects in methyl blue and soy sauce solutions under visible light.