Synthesis and photocatalytic property of Ce-doped SnO₂

Pure SnO₂ and Ce-doped (1, 4, 7, 10 in mass ratio) SnO ₂ powders were prepared by a simple sol-gel method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area analyzers. Results showed that the 7 Ce-doped sample has a particle size of 0.1-0.3 μm with a narrow particle size distribution while the pure SnO ₂ was consisted of large agglomerated particles with a diameter up to several micrometers. When used as the catalyst to degrade methyl orange (MO), the 7 Ce-doped sample showed best photocatalytic property. These properties can be attributed to the large surface area and small particle size of the 7 Ce-doped sample.