Physical, Optical and Photochemical Properties of CeO₂ Nanoparticles Synthesized by Solution Combustion Method

Abstract

<jats:p>Cerium oxide (CeO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by solution combustion method using cerium nitrate and urea. The prepared sample was characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy (FTIR), Ultraviolet (UV) and Photoluminescence (PL), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM), Thermogravimetric-Differential Thermal Analysis (TG-DTA) and photocatalytic measurements. The XRD results confirmed that the synthesized nanocrystalline CeO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> samples have cubic structure with average grain size about 12, 18 and 26 nm (as prepared at 120 °C, sintered at 300 °C and sintered at 600 °C respectively). The HRTEM results confirmed that the synthesized nanoparticles have good polycrystalline nature. In the PL spectra, a strong and broad emission band was observed at 425 nm due to the presence of blue shift in the visible region. The TEM results revealed that the synthesized CeO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> nanoparticles were sphere shaped particles of size in the range 10–15 nm. The degradation of methylene blue catalysed by CeO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> nanoparticles was studied under visible light irradiation. The maximum degradation was obtained with 1.0 g/L CeO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> at pH 11 within 5 hours.</jats:p>

Synthesis and characterization of nanoceria for electrochemical sensing applications

“…UV-Vis absorption ability of crystalline nanoceria depends on the band gap energy, e.g., high band gap energy enhances the interactions for smaller nanoparticles. 44…”

“… 43 Solution combustion method was used for synthetizing nanoceria with cerium nitrate (precursor) and urea (fuel), where the resulting cerium oxide nanoparticles were in the form of sphere with the sizes in the range between 10–15 nm. 44 …”

Review of Recent Studies on Solution Combustion Synthesis of Nanostructured Catalysts

“…Ceria nanoparticles were also produced by Bakkiyaraj and Balakrishnan with sphere shaped particles of size in the range 10–15 nm. They studied the degradation of methylene blue over CeO 2 nanoparticles under visible light irradiation and the maximum degradation was obtained with 1.0 g L −1 CeO 2 at pH 11 within 5 h …”