ZnO Nanoparticles with Controllable Ce Content for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of MB Synthesized by the Polyol Method
This paper reports on the synthesis of Ce-doped ZnO (CZO) nanoparticles (NPs) by an alternative polyol method at low temperature. The method, facile and rapid, uses acetate-based precursors, ethylene glycol as solvent, and polyvinylpyrrolidone as capping agent. The effects of the Ce-doping concentra...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-01-01
|
| Series: | Catalysts |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/11/1/71 |
| _version_ | 1797415750064930816 |
|---|---|
| author | Gregorio Flores-Carrasco Micaela Rodríguez-Peña Ana Urbieta Paloma Fernández María Eugenia Rabanal |
| author_facet | Gregorio Flores-Carrasco Micaela Rodríguez-Peña Ana Urbieta Paloma Fernández María Eugenia Rabanal |
| author_sort | Gregorio Flores-Carrasco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper reports on the synthesis of Ce-doped ZnO (CZO) nanoparticles (NPs) by an alternative polyol method at low temperature. The method, facile and rapid, uses acetate-based precursors, ethylene glycol as solvent, and polyvinylpyrrolidone as capping agent. The effects of the Ce-doping concentration (ranging from 0 to 8.24 atomic%) on the structural, morphological, compositional, optical, luminescence, and photocatalytic properties of the NPs were investigated by several techniques. The structural findings confirmed that the CZO NPs have a typical hexagonal wurtzite-type structure with a preferred orientation along the (101) plane. The results obtained by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) revealed that the NPs size decreased (from ~30 to ~16 nm) with an increase in the Ce-doping concentration. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and High Resolution Transmission Microscopy (HRTEM) results confirmed the incorporation of Ce ions into the ZnO lattice. Ce-doping influences the photoluminescence (PL) emission compared to that of pure ZnO. The PL emission is related to the presence of different kinds of defects, which could take part in charge transfer and/or trapping mechanisms, hence playing an essential role in the photocatalytic activity (PCA). In fact, in this work we report an enhancement of PCA as a consequence of Ce-doping. In this sense, the best results were obtained for samples doped with 3.24 atomic%, that exhibited a photocatalytic degradation efficiency close to 99% after 60 min ultraviolet (UV) illumination, thus confirming the viability of Ce-doping for environmental applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:54:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-32ee2c60b1c34fa58eff46dcb21885c7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4344 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:54:05Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Catalysts |
| spelling | doaj.art-32ee2c60b1c34fa58eff46dcb21885c72023-12-03T12:15:18ZengMDPI AGCatalysts2073-43442021-01-011117110.3390/catal11010071ZnO Nanoparticles with Controllable Ce Content for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of MB Synthesized by the Polyol MethodGregorio Flores-Carrasco0Micaela Rodríguez-Peña1Ana Urbieta2Paloma Fernández3María Eugenia Rabanal4Higher Technological Institute of Tepeaca, National Technological Institute of Mexico, Tepeaca 75219, MexicoDepartamento de Física de Materiales, Facultad de Físicas, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartamento de Física de Materiales, Facultad de Físicas, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartamento de Física de Materiales, Facultad de Físicas, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering, University Carlos III of Madrid and IAAB, Avenida de la Universidad 30, 28911 Madrid, SpainThis paper reports on the synthesis of Ce-doped ZnO (CZO) nanoparticles (NPs) by an alternative polyol method at low temperature. The method, facile and rapid, uses acetate-based precursors, ethylene glycol as solvent, and polyvinylpyrrolidone as capping agent. The effects of the Ce-doping concentration (ranging from 0 to 8.24 atomic%) on the structural, morphological, compositional, optical, luminescence, and photocatalytic properties of the NPs were investigated by several techniques. The structural findings confirmed that the CZO NPs have a typical hexagonal wurtzite-type structure with a preferred orientation along the (101) plane. The results obtained by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) revealed that the NPs size decreased (from ~30 to ~16 nm) with an increase in the Ce-doping concentration. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and High Resolution Transmission Microscopy (HRTEM) results confirmed the incorporation of Ce ions into the ZnO lattice. Ce-doping influences the photoluminescence (PL) emission compared to that of pure ZnO. The PL emission is related to the presence of different kinds of defects, which could take part in charge transfer and/or trapping mechanisms, hence playing an essential role in the photocatalytic activity (PCA). In fact, in this work we report an enhancement of PCA as a consequence of Ce-doping. In this sense, the best results were obtained for samples doped with 3.24 atomic%, that exhibited a photocatalytic degradation efficiency close to 99% after 60 min ultraviolet (UV) illumination, thus confirming the viability of Ce-doping for environmental applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/11/1/71Ce-doped ZnOnanoparticlesoptical propertiesphotocatalytic activity |
| spellingShingle | Gregorio Flores-Carrasco Micaela Rodríguez-Peña Ana Urbieta Paloma Fernández María Eugenia Rabanal ZnO Nanoparticles with Controllable Ce Content for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of MB Synthesized by the Polyol Method Catalysts Ce-doped ZnO nanoparticles optical properties photocatalytic activity |
| title | ZnO Nanoparticles with Controllable Ce Content for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of MB Synthesized by the Polyol Method |
| title_full | ZnO Nanoparticles with Controllable Ce Content for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of MB Synthesized by the Polyol Method |
| title_fullStr | ZnO Nanoparticles with Controllable Ce Content for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of MB Synthesized by the Polyol Method |
| title_full_unstemmed | ZnO Nanoparticles with Controllable Ce Content for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of MB Synthesized by the Polyol Method |
| title_short | ZnO Nanoparticles with Controllable Ce Content for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of MB Synthesized by the Polyol Method |
| title_sort | zno nanoparticles with controllable ce content for efficient photocatalytic degradation of mb synthesized by the polyol method |
| topic | Ce-doped ZnO nanoparticles optical properties photocatalytic activity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/11/1/71 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gregorioflorescarrasco znonanoparticleswithcontrollablececontentforefficientphotocatalyticdegradationofmbsynthesizedbythepolyolmethod AT micaelarodriguezpena znonanoparticleswithcontrollablececontentforefficientphotocatalyticdegradationofmbsynthesizedbythepolyolmethod AT anaurbieta znonanoparticleswithcontrollablececontentforefficientphotocatalyticdegradationofmbsynthesizedbythepolyolmethod AT palomafernandez znonanoparticleswithcontrollablececontentforefficientphotocatalyticdegradationofmbsynthesizedbythepolyolmethod AT mariaeugeniarabanal znonanoparticleswithcontrollablececontentforefficientphotocatalyticdegradationofmbsynthesizedbythepolyolmethod |