Platinum oxide-supported sol-gel prepared CeO2 nanocubes for promoted photodestruction of atrazine under visible light irradiation

Abstract

We present the formation of cerium oxide (CeO2) anchored with trace amounts of platinum oxide (PtO) nanostructures. These mesoporous photocatalysts were employed for the photodestruction of atrazine (AZ) in water. Descriptions by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy designated the growth of PtO nanoparticles attached to the CeO2 nanocubes. The visible-light absorption of PtO-anchored samples was widened than CeO2 thanks to the bandgap minimization to 2.20 eV. The 1.6 g L−1 dose of 0.9% PtO/CeO2 at indicated the ability to mineralize AZ after 40 min with rate of 82.82 × 10−3 min−1 and 97% of reusability.

Keywords

• Metal oxides
• Heterojunctions
• Photoactivity
• Atrazine mineralization
• Recyclability