Effects of Ce incorporation on the structural, morphological, optical, magnetic, and photocatalytic characteristics of ZnO nanoparticles

Research on semiconductors toward conventional electronic devices is limited owing to availability of more features in spin-based electronic devices, called spintronics. To provide optimal materials for spintronics, we studied the effect of Ce doping concentration on the crystalline, morphological, magnetic, and photocatalytic characteristics of ZnO nanoparticles. The particles were analyzed using x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and with a vibrating sample magnetometer. In addition, we studied the degradation of methyl orange organic dye molecules. The wurtzite structure of the prepared nanoparticles and incorporation of dopant ions into the host lattice were confirmed by structural analysis. XPS results suggested that Ce ions were incorporated into the ZnO host lattice with +3 and +4 combined oxidization states and indicated the presence of oxygen vacancies. Room temperature magnetic hysteresis curves revealed that the Zn_0.48Ce_0.02O₅₀ and Zn_0.46Ce_0.04O₅₀ nanoparticles are superparamagnetic. Photocatalytic measurements confirmed that the synthesized nanoparticles of ZnO, Zn_0.48Ce_0.02O₅₀, and Zn_0.46Ce_0.04O₅₀ exhibit better degradation efficiencies through the decomposition of methyl orange molecules in aqueous media. (paper)