Microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of CeO2 nanowires for using as a photocatalytic material

One-dimensional CeO2 materials were successfully synthesized by a microwave assisted hypothermal method at 100, 120 and 140 degrees C for 30 min. Phase and morphology of the products were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Their XRD patterns were specified as pure CeO2 cubic phase. Their TEM images presented uniform CeO2 nanorods for the synthesis temperatures of 100 degrees C and 120 degrees C and nanowires with high aspect ratio and their growth along the [110] direction for the synthesis temperature of 140 degrees C. The photocatalytic activities of CeO2 samples were investigated through degradation of methyl orange (MO) as a representative dye pollutant under UV light irradiation. The CeO2 nanowires have the highest photodegradation of 98% within 100 min. (C) 2017 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.