Preparation of nanosized yttrium doped CeO₂ catalyst used for photocatalytic application

In the present work, the pure CeO₂ and yttrium doped CeO₂ nanopowders were synthesized by the nitrate-fuel self-sustaining combustion method and calcined at 700°C for 2h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution electron transmission microscopy (HRTEM) results demonstrated a cubic fluorite with high purity and the crystallite sizes less than 20nm calculated from Scherrer's formula. The BET specific surface area of yttrium doped CeO₂ samples showed high values than those of pure CeO₂. The photocatalytic activity of yttrium doped CeO₂ showed high degradation of Rhodamine B solution under visible light illumination.