Abstract
In this work, the effects of co-doping on the structural and the optical properties of CeO2 nanoparticles have been studied. The Ce(1-x-y)F(e)xCu(y)O(2) (0 <= x <= 0.02, 0 <= y <= 0.50) nanoparticles were synthesized using the coprecipitation technique. As-synthesized nanoparticles were calcined at 500 degrees C for 4 hrs. The samples were then characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. All the samples exhibited the face-centred cubic (fluorite) structure. The particle sizes were found to be in the range of 6-10 nm as calculated using Scherrer's formula. The UV-Vis spectra were found to exhibit a strong broad band between 200-800 nm. The band gap energy of the material was determined using the Tauc's plots of the codoped CeO2 nanoparticles and was found to be decreasing with increase in the number of the dopants indicating a red shift. The desired structural and optical properties of CeO2 nanoparticles makes it a captivated and promising material for various applications.