Structural and Optical Properties of Ce-Doped TiO2 Nanoparticles Using the Sol-Gel Process

Abstract

Pure and Ce-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by facile sol–gel method. Structural, microstructural and optical properties were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) and UV–Vis spectra. XRD analysis confirms the formation of pure anatase tetragonal TiO2 phase with a preferred orientation along (101) direction and that the lattice constants increased with increasing the Ce doping level. The UV–vis reflectance spectra showed that cerium doping shift in the absorption spectra to the visible region and lower the bandgap. All the Ce-doped TiO2 samples showed higher PL intensity than undoped TiO2. Sample containing 0.05 mol% Ce exhibited the highest PL intensity among the Ce-doped TiO2 nanoparticle samples. The visible emission peaks of pure and Ce-doped TiO2 nanoparticles are mainly associated with oxygen vacancies.