Morphology and porosity engineering enhance the photocatalytic activity of mesoporous CeTi2O6

Abstract

Unlocking the potential of photocatalysis for widespread applications requires highly efficient visible-light-driven photocatalysts. Here, we show that mesoporous cerium titanate (CeTi₂O₆), with the brannerite structure, is a potent visible-light photocatalyst that combines the strengths of cerium and titanium oxides (CeO₂ and TiO₂). Mesoporous CeTi₂O₆ was synthesized via a sol–gel method using diverse surfactant templates (F127, PL3, CTAB, and X114) to systematically tune its morphology and porosity for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity. Rigorous characterization techniques, including SEM, XRD, XPS, BET, DRS, and detailed first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations, reveal a cogent correlation between pore volume, catalytic efficiency, and calculated electronic work function. This enhancement is attributed to the refined mesoporous network and optimized electronic structure. Among the templates, F127-directed CeTi₂O₆ establishes 90.6% methylene blue degradation within 40 minutes of illumination under visible light. The exceptional performance of the F127 template originates from the interconnected pore network, high pore volume, and lower electronic work function. Our results highlight the critical role of morphology and electronic structure engineering in CeTi₂O₆, positioning it as a cost-effective, eco-friendly, and efficient photocatalyst for sustainable environmental applications.