Structural, photoluminescence, and photocatalytic performances of Ce3+ -activated orthovanadate oxides M3 (VO4 )2 (M: Mg or Zn) synthesized by solution combustion route.

Abstract

This paper presents a research investigation into the synthesis of vanadate oxides M3 (VO4 )2 (M: Mg or Zn) using the solution combustion method and investigates their structural, photoluminescence, and photocatalytic properties after introducing cerium (Ce) as a dopant. The resulting synthesized samples all display an orthorhombic crystalline structure with crystallite sizes ranging from 71 to 110 nm. Morphological diversity among the samples is revealed through field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) imagery. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy discloses that the introduction of Ce3+ as a dopant leads to an increase in the band gap energy. Notably, when excited at a wavelength of 340 nm, the photoluminescence emission intensity reaches its peak across all samples. This intensity undergoes enhancement due to Ce3+ doping, causing a slight shift toward shorter wavelengths attributable to the augmented band gap resulting from the dopant. Markedly, among the investigated materials, Ce3+ -activated Mg3 (VO4 )2 stands out with the most pronounced emission intensity, positioning it as a highly promising luminescent material. Additionally, the incorporation of Ce3+ has a positive effect on the photocatalytic performance of Mg3 (VO4 )2 , resulting in notable improvement.