Porous Ce-doped ZnO hollow sphere with enhanced photodegradation activity for artificial waste water

In this study, Ce-doped ZnO photocatalysts are successfully prepared by using a simple and facile one-pot water bath method. The as-prepared samples are characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) diffuse spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis. It is found that the as-synthesized Ce-doped ZnO possessed hollow porous structure, high surface areas and large pore volumes . The photocatalytic degradation efficiency (99%) of methyl orange (MO) with an optimal molar ratio of 0.3% Ce-doped ZnO is realized. The separation behavior of photogenerated electrons-holes pairs was investigated by surface photovoltage (SPV) and transient photovoltage (TPV) technique. The results illuminate that Ce element in Ce-doped ZnO tremendously promotes the separation of charges and inhibits the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, corresponding to the excellent photocatalytic performance.