CaTiO3 perovskite synthetized by chemical route at low temperatures for application as a photocatalyst for the degradation of methylene blue

CaTiO₃ is one of the most versatile oxides of the perovskite family for applications in areas such as electronics, photocatalysis and photovoltaics, due to its properties that it can present, such as ionic conduction, ferroelectric, or photoluminescence. Consequently, the study of the synthesis routes of the material is the fundamental importance. The CaTiO₃ powders were synthesized using the sol–gel technique, with different treatment temperatures of 600–1000 °C. The structural, morphological, compositional, and optical properties were analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron spectroscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV–Vis spectrophotometry. X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated the formation of the perovskite phase with an orthorhombic structure from 600 °C with the presence of traces of TiO₂ in the anatase and rutile phase, which decreases with increasing heat treatment temperature. The degradation of methylene blue under ultraviolet light irradiation was carried out with the samples that present the highest purity of CaTiO₃ treated at 900 and 1000 °C, which were synthesized with an increase in the amount of catalyst and reaction temperature by the sol–gel method, which was viable for obtaining CaTiO₃ powders at low temperatures compared to conventional methods for the purpose of applying the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue, which registered a degradation of up to 97%.