Enhancing the Photocatalytic Activity and Luminescent Properties of Rare-Earth-Doped CeO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles
Our study is focused on the structural and morphological characteristics, optical behaviour and photocatalytic properties of undoped and 5 at% Eu<sup>3+</sup>-, Gd<sup>3+</sup>- and Y<sup>3+</sup>-doped CeO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles prepared by a green...
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| author | Dana Toloman Adriana Popa Ramona Bianca Sonher Rares Bortnic Traian Florin Marinca Ioana Perhaita Miuța Filip Amalia Mesaros |
| author_facet | Dana Toloman Adriana Popa Ramona Bianca Sonher Rares Bortnic Traian Florin Marinca Ioana Perhaita Miuța Filip Amalia Mesaros |
| author_sort | Dana Toloman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Our study is focused on the structural and morphological characteristics, optical behaviour and photocatalytic properties of undoped and 5 at% Eu<sup>3+</sup>-, Gd<sup>3+</sup>- and Y<sup>3+</sup>-doped CeO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles prepared by a green hybrid sol-gel combustion method. Several techniques such as X-ray diffraction powder (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) have been used to investigate the obtained samples. Moreover, the correlation between the characteristics and properties has been studied. The nanoparticles observed by TEM exhibit a pseudo-spherical shape, except for Y<sup>3+</sup>-doped CeO<sub>2</sub>, which presents an acicular shape. The average size of undoped and rare-earth-doped CeO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles is below 10 nm, in good agreement with the calculations performed based on XRD analyses. From UV-Vis analyses it has been deduced that with doping the band gap energy decreases, which shows that additional levels are introduced by doping into the CeO<sub>2</sub> band gap. The EPR spectra evidence similar behaviour for all doped samples. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under UV light irradiation. The photodegradation mechanism has been studied in depth based on the formation of electron-hole pairs, and to evidence the reactive oxygen species, ESR coupled with spin-trapping experiments was performed. In the case of Y-doped CeO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles, the generation of both •OOH and •<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo></mrow></msubsup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> radicals involved in RhB photodegradation was highlighted. |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:59:21Z |
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| spelling | doaj.art-e8505b1117e542a0a34ec71f520bf41e2024-01-29T13:42:23ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172024-01-0114252210.3390/app14020522Enhancing the Photocatalytic Activity and Luminescent Properties of Rare-Earth-Doped CeO<sub>2</sub> NanoparticlesDana Toloman0Adriana Popa1Ramona Bianca Sonher2Rares Bortnic3Traian Florin Marinca4Ioana Perhaita5Miuța Filip6Amalia Mesaros7National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaNational Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaPhysics and Chemistry Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 28 Memorandumului Street, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaPhysics and Chemistry Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 28 Memorandumului Street, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaMaterials Science and Engineering Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 103-105 Muncii Avenue, 400641 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaRaluca Ripan Institute for Research in Chemistry, Babes-Bolyai University, 30 Fântânele Street, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaRaluca Ripan Institute for Research in Chemistry, Babes-Bolyai University, 30 Fântânele Street, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaPhysics and Chemistry Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 28 Memorandumului Street, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaOur study is focused on the structural and morphological characteristics, optical behaviour and photocatalytic properties of undoped and 5 at% Eu<sup>3+</sup>-, Gd<sup>3+</sup>- and Y<sup>3+</sup>-doped CeO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles prepared by a green hybrid sol-gel combustion method. Several techniques such as X-ray diffraction powder (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) have been used to investigate the obtained samples. Moreover, the correlation between the characteristics and properties has been studied. The nanoparticles observed by TEM exhibit a pseudo-spherical shape, except for Y<sup>3+</sup>-doped CeO<sub>2</sub>, which presents an acicular shape. The average size of undoped and rare-earth-doped CeO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles is below 10 nm, in good agreement with the calculations performed based on XRD analyses. From UV-Vis analyses it has been deduced that with doping the band gap energy decreases, which shows that additional levels are introduced by doping into the CeO<sub>2</sub> band gap. The EPR spectra evidence similar behaviour for all doped samples. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under UV light irradiation. The photodegradation mechanism has been studied in depth based on the formation of electron-hole pairs, and to evidence the reactive oxygen species, ESR coupled with spin-trapping experiments was performed. In the case of Y-doped CeO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles, the generation of both •OOH and •<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo></mrow></msubsup></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> radicals involved in RhB photodegradation was highlighted.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/2/522CeO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticlesrare-earthphotocatalytic activityphotoluminescenceROS |
| spellingShingle | Dana Toloman Adriana Popa Ramona Bianca Sonher Rares Bortnic Traian Florin Marinca Ioana Perhaita Miuța Filip Amalia Mesaros Enhancing the Photocatalytic Activity and Luminescent Properties of Rare-Earth-Doped CeO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles Applied Sciences CeO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles rare-earth photocatalytic activity photoluminescence ROS |
| title | Enhancing the Photocatalytic Activity and Luminescent Properties of Rare-Earth-Doped CeO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles |
| title_full | Enhancing the Photocatalytic Activity and Luminescent Properties of Rare-Earth-Doped CeO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing the Photocatalytic Activity and Luminescent Properties of Rare-Earth-Doped CeO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing the Photocatalytic Activity and Luminescent Properties of Rare-Earth-Doped CeO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles |
| title_short | Enhancing the Photocatalytic Activity and Luminescent Properties of Rare-Earth-Doped CeO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles |
| title_sort | enhancing the photocatalytic activity and luminescent properties of rare earth doped ceo sub 2 sub nanoparticles |
| topic | CeO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles rare-earth photocatalytic activity photoluminescence ROS |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/2/522 |
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