Effect of Ce dopant on photocatalytic properties of CaMoO<inf>4</inf> nanoparticles prepared by microwave-assisted method

Abstract

0–5% Ce-doped CaMoO4 nanoparticles were successfully synthesised by a microwave-assisted method. Phase, morphology and photocatalytic properties of Ce-doped CaMoO4 samples were investigated and explained in accordance with the experimental results. XRD patterns of CaMoO4 and Ce-doped CaMoO4 samples were indexed to tetragonal CaMoO4 structure. Transmission electron microscopy images of the samples indicated that the particle sizes of 0%, 1%, 3% and 5% Ce-doped CaMoO4 samples were 45.54 ± 7.92 nm, 45.21 ± 7.54 nm, 40.76 ± 7.34 nm and 13.57 ± 2.84 nm, respectively. The photocatalytic properties of CaMoO4 and Ce-doped CaMoO4 nanoparticles were investigated through methylene blue degradation under ultraviolet light irradiation. The 3% Ce-doped CaMoO4 nanoparticles have the highest photocatalytic activity of 96.62% within 150 min.