Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Ag@CeO 2 Nanoparticles: Tuning Their Structural, Optical, and Morphological Properties via Sol–Gel Method

The present study give information about Ag-doped cerium dioxide (Ag@CeO 2 ) nanoparticles (Ag x Ce 1-x O 2 , where x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.06 molar ratios, corresponding to 0, 2, 4, and 6 mol% Ag) that were synthesized via a cost-effective and novel sol-gel method. Pure and Ag-doped CeO 2 samples with varying dopant concentrations were prepared to evaluate the influence of Ag-doping on the fluorite cubic structure of ceria. Characterization Techniques like X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the phase change from amorphous to face centered cube (FCC) in Ag@CeO 2 and crystallite size from 19.29 nm for pure CeO 2 to 18.70 nm for Ag-doped CeO 2 , as calculated using the Scherrer equation. Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis revealed the non-uniform and irregular surface morphology of Ag@CeO 2 NPs using SEM micrograph. notable red shift in the absorption edge, corresponding to a bandgap (E g ) narrowing from ~ 3.2 eV down to ~ 2.7 eV with increasing silver concentration. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis’s showed significant morphological changes, transitioning from uniform spherical grains to agglomerated nanostructures with enhanced surface-to-volume ratios. UV-Visible analysis conformed Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, which further validated the formation of Ce-O and Ag-O vibrational modes. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) verified elemental composition and weight percentage distributions. The enhanced optical response and tailored nanostructure make these Ag-CeO 2 nanoparticles highly promising candidates for optoelectronic devices, photocatalytic degradation, and biomedical applications.