Facile fabrication of efficient Pr2Ce2O7 ceramic nanostructure for enhanced photocatalytic performances under solar light

Abstract

The design and synthesis of high-performance catalytic compounds for the decomposition and removal of wastewater containing hazardous contaminants are substantial for water remediation. Here, we report the efficient preparation of A 2 Ce 2 O 7 (A = Bi, Dy, and Pr) nanostructures and cerium dioxide nanoparticles utilizing barberry extract as an environmentally friendly reactant and their application as natural-based nanocatalysts to decompose and eliminate hazardous contaminants in an aqueous medium. The features of the produced oxide nanostructures were checked utilizing various techniques. The activity of the fabricated photocatalytic nanostructures was evaluated in the decomposition of Acid Red 14 contaminants under visible light. The outcomes revealed that the kind of trivalent element introduced meaningfully affects the dimension, architecture, optical properties, porosity, and catalytic performance of the ceria sample. Compared to other nanocatalysts, porous Pr 2 Ce 2 O 7 nanostructures exhibited enhanced photodegradation yield for decomposing Acid Red 14 (99.2%). The porous Pr 2 Ce 2 O 7 sample also demonstrated stable performance after ten cycles. Photo-generated holes and hydroxyls are the leading species accounting for Acid Red 14 decomposition. Furthermore, the decomposition kinetics of Acid Red 14 followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics.