A correlative effect of Fe³⁺ ion incorporation on the structure-optic and photocatalytic properties of CeO₂ nanoparticles

In the present investigation, the sol–gel technique was utilized to synthesize pure and Fe³⁺ doped cerium oxide (CeO₂) nanoparticles. The synthesized nanomaterials underwent extensive analytical and spectroscopic characterization process to ascertain their physicochemical properties. The analysis of powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns revealed that the incorporation of 0.5 M Fe resulted in a decrease of crystallite dimensions to 11 nm, in contrast to the 44 nm observed in the undoped CeO₂. Moreover, the introduction of Fe impurities was found to narrow the energy bandgap, evidenced by a decrease from 3.00 eV in pure CeO₂ to 2.20 eV in CeO₂ doped with 1.5 M Fe, thereby enhancing the material’s optical absorption into the visible light range. An examination of electron density distribution provided insights into the bonding characteristics of the materials post-synthesis. The photocatalytic efficiency of the Fe-doped CeO₂ nanoparticles was evaluated through degradation of methyl orange (MO), under the influence of visible light irradiation. Remarkably, the Fe-doped CeO₂ nanoparticles exhibited a significant photocatalytic activity, culminating degradation efficiency of 88% of MO within a span of 60 min. This pronounced photocatalytic efficiency underscores the potential application of Fe-doped CeO₂ nanoparticles in the domain of environmental cleanup.