Structural and Functional Behaviour of Ce-Doped Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors for Photo-Catalytic Applications

Giulia Forghieri; Danny Zanardo; Elena Ghedini; Federica Menegazzo; Alessia Giordana; Giuseppina Cerrato; Alessandro Di Michele; Giuseppe Cruciani; Michela Signoretto

doi:10.3390/catal11101209

Catalysts (Oct 2021)

Structural and Functional Behaviour of Ce-Doped Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors for Photo-Catalytic Applications

Giulia Forghieri,
Danny Zanardo,
Elena Ghedini,
Federica Menegazzo,
Alessia Giordana,
Giuseppina Cerrato,
Alessandro Di Michele,
Giuseppe Cruciani,
Michela Signoretto

Affiliations

Giulia Forghieri: CatMat Lab, Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and Consortium INSTM RU Ve, via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
Danny Zanardo: CatMat Lab, Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and Consortium INSTM RU Ve, via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
Elena Ghedini: CatMat Lab, Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and Consortium INSTM RU Ve, via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
Federica Menegazzo: CatMat Lab, Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and Consortium INSTM RU Ve, via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
Alessia Giordana: Department of Chemistry and NIS Interdept, University of Turin, and Consortium INSTM RU TO via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Turin, Italy
Giuseppina Cerrato: Department of Chemistry and NIS Interdept, University of Turin, and Consortium INSTM RU TO via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Turin, Italy
Alessandro Di Michele: Department of Physics and Geologia, University of Perugia, via Pascolo 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
Giuseppe Cruciani: Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Ferrara, via G. Saragat 1, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
Michela Signoretto: CatMat Lab, Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and Consortium INSTM RU Ve, via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/catal11101209
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 10
p. 1209

Abstract

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Increasing the photocatalytic efficiency of earth-abundant wide-bandgap semiconductors is of high interest for the development of cheap but effective light-driven chemical conversion processes. In this study, the coupling of ZnO and TiO2 with low contents of the rare-earth Ce species aimed to assess the photo-catalytic performance of the two semiconductors (SC). Structural and optical characterizations were performed to estimate the effect of the different interactions between Zn2+, Ti4+ and Ce4+ ions, and how the photo-responsive behaviour of Ce-Ti and Ce-Zn composites was affected. Therefore, photo-catalytic tests were performed for all Ce-modified SC to assess both their photo-oxidative and photo-reductive properties. Amongst all the tested materials, only Zn-based samples resulted in being suitable for the photo-oxidation of the methylene blue (MB) organic pollutant in a synthetic-dependent fashion.

Published in Catalysts

ISSN: 2073-4344 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Technology: Chemical technology; Science: Chemistry
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/catalysts

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