The photocatalytic degradation of direct blue 14 in the presence of synthetic cerium oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

Cerium oxide nanoparticles are considered promoter and emerging substances due to their properties such as redox, transport properties, and oxygen storage capacity. Thus, it can be effectively used in water treatment technologies. In this study, we investigate the photocatalytic activity of cerium oxide nanoparticles as a photocatalyst for direct bleu 14(organic dye) photodegradation. The influence of several parameters such as solution pH, initial concentration of dyes and bath temperature on the photocatalytic degradation was evaluated by using UV spectroscopy. Cerium oxide nanoparticles were synthesized through the chemical precipitation method; first, the experiments were conducted by varying the amount of cerium oxide nanoparticles from 1 to 12 mg for an initially fixed dye concentration of 10 ml/l, a solution pH which is about 5 and at room temperature; then the pH solution effect was studied for an optimized added amount of nanoceria of 6 mg and an ambient temperature, varying the initial pH solution studied in a range between 1.5 and 11.8. Finally, the bath temperature range was studied for 25, 30,35,40,45 and 50° C. The obtained results showed that the total degradation of the organic dye was achieved after 20 minutes in the presence of 6 mg of cerium oxide nanoparticles, for a solution pH of 1.5 and bath temperature of 50° C.