Abstract
In this paper, the solution combustion synthesis (SCS) accompanied with calcination at 500 and 600 degrees C (Ce1 and Ce-2) was used for the synthesis of cerium(IV) oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles as a facile and low-cost method using Ce(NO3)(3)center dot 6H(2)O as cerium precursor and salicylic acid as oxidizer and fuel. CeO2 nanoparticles were characterized by FT-IR and UV-Vis spectroscopies, VSM, XRD, EDS, BET and TEM. The FT-IR and XRD results confirmed the pure and single crystalline phase of CeO2 nanoparticles. The UV-Vis spectra of CeO2 nanoparticles predicted a narrow and uniform particle size distribution due to a strong band that appeared at approximate to 244 nm. The ferromagnetic nature of the as-prepared CeO2 nanoparticles was proved by VSM. Moreover, the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under UV irradiation was investigated and at optimum conditions, the MB removal percentage reaches 93 and 96% for Ce-1 and Ce-2, respectively.