Facile synthesis of CeO2 nanoparticles and their applications in photodegradation of methylene blue and as supercapacitor electrode material

This work comprises a facile synthesis of cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) using hydrothermal method. The characterization of the CeO2 NPs was carried out using different techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and ultra-violet visible spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the CeO2 NPs was evaluated for the degradation of methylene blue under the sunlight irradiation. CeO2 NPs, nanosphere obtained by the hydrothermal decomposition showed the highest photocatalytic efficiency (74.04%) due to their nanosize. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, galvanostatic charge/discharge and cyclic voltammetry were used to examine the electrochemical properties of the electrode prepared using CeO2 nanoparticles. The CeO2 nanoparticles showed a specific capacitance of 91.75 F g(-1) at a current density of 1 A g(-1).