Green synthesis and catalytic performance of nanoscale CeO2 sheets

Abstract

Nanoscale CeO₂ sheets were synthesized by a facile and green hydrothermal precipitation method in a strong alkali solution. The experimental results indicate that without any surfactant and template, nanoscale CeO₂ sheets can be successfully synthesized simply by adding cerium nitrate into ammonia at room temperature. The Rietveld refinement analysis demonstrates that the synthesized CeO₂ sheets have more defect structures than nanoparticles and nanorods. The photocatalytic performance of the CeO₂ sheets was also evaluated by decomposing an azo dye, methyl orange. Compared with nanoparticles and nanorods, the synthesized CeO₂ nanosheets exhibit higher photocatalytic activity during the degradation.