CeO2 nanoscale particles:Synthesis,characterization and photocatalytic activity under UVA light irradiation

CeO2nanoparticles(NPs) were synthesized in alkaline medium via the homogeneous precipitation method and were subsequently calcined at 80 ℃/24 h(assigned as CeO2-80) and 500 ℃/2 h(assigned as CeO2-500). The as-prepared materials and the commercial ceria(assigned as CeO2-com) were characterized using TGA-MS, XRD, SEM-EDX, UV-vis DRS and IEP techniques. The photocatalytic performances of all obtained photocatalysts were assessed by the degradation of Congo red azo-dye(CR) under UVAlight irradiation at various environmental key factors(e.g., reaction time and calcination temperature).Results reveal that CeO2compounds crystalize with cubic phase, CeO2-500 exhibits smaller crystallite size(9 nm vs 117 nm) than that of bare CeO2-com. SEM analysis shows that the materials are sphericallike in shape NPs with strong assembly of CeO2NPs observed in the CeO2-500 NPs. EDX analysis confirms the stoichiometry of CeO2NPs. UV-vis DRS measurement reveals that, CeO2-500 NPs exhibits a red-shift of absorption band and a more narrow bandgap(2.6 eV vs 3.20 eV) than that of bare CeO2-com. On the contrary, Urbach energy of Eu is found to be increased from 0.12 eV(CeO2-com) to 0.17 eV(CeO2-500),highlighting an increase of crystalline size and internal microstrain in the CeO2-500 NPs sample. Zeta potential(IEP) of CeO2-500 NPs is found to be 7.2. UVA-light-responsive photocatalytic activity is observed with CeO2-500 NPs at a rate constant of 10×10-3min-1, which is four times higher than that of CeO2-com(Kapp=2.4×10-3min-1) for the degradation of CR. Pseudo-first-order kinetic model gives the best fit. On the basis of the energy band diagram positions, the enhanced photocatalytic performance of CeO2-500 nano-catalyst can be ascribed to O2-, ’OH and R’+as the primary oxidative species involved in the degradation of RC under UVA-light irradiation.