Photocatalytic Degradation of RB dye via Cerium substituted SnO2 Photocatalysts

Abstract

Scientists and citizens are highly worried about the dangers posed by ubiquitous presence of organic pollutants in water bodies as a result of industrial wastes, particularly phenolic compounds, organic dyes, and antibiotics. In the present study, a series of Ce-doped SnO2 (Ce = 0%, 0.5%, 1.5%, 3%, 5%) samples were synthesized by cost-effective sol–gel approach. XRD study confirms that synthesized samples have single phase crystalline nature. Using XRD, crystallite size have been calculated and found to be in the range 12.24–10.69 nm. Particle size obtained from HRTEM lying in the range 13.45–10.42 nm which was in well agreement with XRD. Raman, PL and XPS spectroscopy were used to identify defects/oxygen vacancies in the lattice. Magnetic investigations indicate that maximum magnetization was 24.44 × 10−3 emu/g for Ce 5%. UV-DRS further showed that band gap was reduced up to 5% Ce (Eg = 3.01 eV) in comparison to pure SnO2 (Eg = 3.71 eV) due to the formation of vacancy defects. In comparison to pure SnO2, Ce-doped SnO2 [Ce 5%] was found to have a maximum photodegradation efficiency of 96% in 60 min under UV irradiation for rose bengal dye. Henceforth, it can be concluded that SnO2 is a remarkable multifunctional material having uses in spintronic devices and as a catalyst for the degradation of organic dyes because of the improvement in ferromagnetic character and enhancement in catalytic behavior upon incorporation of rare-earth ions.