Nanocrystalline Ce-doped copper ferrite: synthesis, characterization, and its photocatalyst application

In the current study and attempt is made to synthesized the cerium-doped copper ferrite nanoparticles (CuFe2-xCexO4) through an auto-combustion method with the aid of nitrate precursors such as copper(II), iron(III), and cerium(III (in an aqueous solution. Besides, the effect of different concentrations of various type of capping agents such as lactose and glucose on the morphology and particle size of final products was investigated. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of as-obtained products were characterized extensively by techniques such as FT-IR, XRD, EDX, SEM, TEM, and UV-vis. Furthermore, the magnetic property of as-prepared CuFe2-xCexO4 nanoparticles was also investigated with vibrating sample magnetometer at room temperature. Moreover, the as-prepared Ce-doped CuFe2O4 nanoparticles were used as efficient photocatalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of harmful organic dye, i.e. methyl orange under ultraviolet light.