Customizing Cerium Oxide Particle Synthesis with Hybrid Polyion Complex Templates for Enhanced Oxidation Performance in Photo-Fenton Processes

Hybrid poly-ion complexes were synthesized through the complexation of a double hydrophilic copolymer with Ce(III) ions. These colloids act as reservoirs for cerium ions, enabling the synthesis of cerium-based Prussian blue nanoparticles with a cubic structure, a narrow size distribution around 100 nm, and good colloidal stability in water. Upon high-temperature calcination, these nanoparticles are transformed into a cerium/iron-based metal oxide catalyst (CeO2/Fe2O3). The resultant composite catalyst demonstrates superior performance in the photo-Fenton oxidation of methylene blue pollutants, achieving a conversion efficiency that rivals other metal-based oxides and cerium-based catalysts. Polyionic complexes were used as chemical reservoirs for obtaining a highly efficient cerium-based catalyst in the photo-Fenton reaction image