Preparation of (5.0%)Er 3+ :Y 3 Al 5 O 12 /Pt-(TiO 2 -Ta 2 O 5 ) nanocatalysts and application in sonocatalytic decomposition of ametryn in aqueous solution.

(5.0%)Er3+ :Y3 Al5 O12 /Pt-(TiO2 -Ta2 O5 ) powder, as a high effective sonocatalyst, was prepared using sol-gel and calcination method. Then it was characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). In order to evaluate the sonocatalytic activity of the prepared (5.0%)Er3+ :Y3 Al5 O12 /Pt-(TiO2 -Ta2 O5 ) powder, the sonocatalytic decomposition of ametryn was studied. In addition, some influencing factors such as different Ti/Ta molar ratios on the sonocatalytic activity of the prepared (5.0%)Er3+ :Y3 Al5 O12 /Pt-(TiO2 -Ta2 O5 ) powder, catalyst added amount with ultrasonic irradiation time and used times on the sonocatalytic decomposition efficiency were examined by using ion chromatogram determination. The experimental results showed that the best sonocatalytic decomposition ratio of ametryn were 77.50% based on the N atom calculation and 95.00% based on the S atom calculation, respectively, when the conditions of 10.00mg/L initial concentration, 1.00g/L prepared (5.0%)Er3+ :Y3 Al5 O12 /Pt-(TiO2 -Ta2 O5 ) powder (Ti/Ta=1.00:0.25 heat-treated at 550°C for 3.0h) added amount, 150min ultrasonic irradiation (40kHz frequency and 300W output power), 100mL total volume and 25-28°C temperature were adopted. Therefore, the (5.0%)Er3+ :Y3 Al5 O12 /Pt-(TiO2 -Ta2 O5 ) composite nanoparticles could be considered as an effective sonocatalyst for decomposition of ametryn in aqueous solution.