Effect of CeO₂ Coupling on the Structural, Optical and Photocatalytic Performance of CePO₄ Nanoparticles

This research work presents the synthesis and characterization of CeO₂ coupled CePO₄ nanocomposites using a hydrothermal technique to examine the coupled composites photocatalytic activity. Stru-ctural, optical and morphological characteristics of the compounds were analysed using XRD, FTIR, UV-DRS, PL, SEM, and EDS techniques. Rietveld refinement provided valuable insights into their structural properties. A 3D model was constructed to illustrate the successful coupling of CeO₂ and CePO₄. The photocatalytic performance of CePO₄ was significantly increased by coupling with CeO₂, and the C70 (70 : 30 weight ratio of CeO₂ and CePO₄) composite exhibited the highest degradation efficiency for RhB and MO dyes. Reactive oxygen species analysis was conducted to attribute the mechanism of the coupled composite. Furthermore, the synthesized composites demonstrated excellent specificity, stability, and reusability.