Photocatalytic properties of Ce-doped TiO₂ nanomaterials for targeted dye removal

TiO 2 nanomaterials with different content of Ce[Formula: see text] ion were synthesized by the chemical method from solutions and demonstrated improved photocatalytic and optical properties with significant redshift compared to pristine TiO 2 . According to X-ray phase analysis and transmission electron microscopy, all synthesized materials are characterized by anatase modification, which holds up to 800[Formula: see text]C, the particle size for all materials is 12–21 nm. X-ray diffraction spectra revealed that the anatase to rutile phase transition for materials doped with Ce[Formula: see text] ions begins at a higher temperature of 800[Formula: see text]C compared to pristine TiO 2 . The influence of synthesis conditions and Ce[Formula: see text] content (0.1–2 mol.%) on characteristics and photocatalytic activity were investigated. The Ce-doped TiO 2 nanomaterial, containing 0.1% Ce[Formula: see text] provides an extremely high degree of methylene blue decomposition by 93% within visible light irradiation for 3 h. The stability of the catalyst over four cycles has been shown, which makes it possible to use it in the purification of water resources from dyes or other pollutants.