Synthesis of Zr-doped CeO₂ nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange and electrochemical properties

In this work, we have developed template-free growth of Zr-doped CeO₂ and CeO₂ nanoparticles using ultrasonic-assisted techniques for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes. A variety of techniques such as XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, TEM, EDX, and UV–visible spectroscopy were used to study the structural, morphological, elemental, and optical properties of prepared samples. The Zr-doped CeO₂ nanoparticles feature tiny, spherical nanoparticles that range in size from 10 to 20 nm, as shown by the TEM micrographs. The UV–visible absorption spectra of both pure CeO₂ and Zr-doped CeO₂ nanoparticles showed steadily increasing absorption in the visible region. Methyl orange (MO) dye was used to examine the photocatalytic dye degradation capabilities of pure CeO₂ and Zr-doped CeO₂ nanoparticles. The results of this work demonstrate that Zr-doped CeO₂ nanoparticles have a strong MO degradation efficiency (92%) in a time period of 80 min, which is higher than pure CeO₂. The improved photocatalytic activity was achieved due to the Zr-doped CeO₂ nanoparticles having an enlarged light absorption region and an effective electron–hole separation during the photodegradation process. The mechanics of dye degradation have been addressed with reference to the electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS). These findings exhibit the suitability of the suggested material for real-world uses.