Synthesis, Characterization, Photoluminescence and Photocatalytic Properties of CeO2 Nanoparticles by the Sonochemical Method

Uniform CeO2 nanoparticles were synthesized via a facile sonochemical reaction between ceric ammonium nitrate and ammonia. Nanoparticles were synthesized via a surfactant free reaction at room temperature in solvent of water. Products were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The effect of different parameters such as precursor, power of pulsation, surfactant and reaction time on the morphology of the products was investigated. It was found that the as-obtained CeO2 nanoparticles exhibit a strong PL peak at 381 nm at room temperature that can be ascribed to the high level transition in the CeO2 semiconductor. The photocatalytic behavior of CeO2 nanoparticles was evaluated using the degradation of a methyl orange aqueous solution under ultraviolet light irradiation. The results show that CeO2 nanoparticles are promising materials with excellent performance in photocatalytic applications.