Enhanced photocatalytic property of self-assembled Fe-doped CeO2 hierarchical nanostructures

• Self assembled Fe-doped CeO2 hierarchically porous nanostructured thin films were prepared.
• Doping of Fe into CeO2 altered the morphology of CeO2 rose flower-like nanostructures.
• Fe-doped CeO2 porous nanostructures enhanced the photocatalytic activity of CeO2.

Self-assembled CeO2 hierarchical rose flower-like nanostructures (HRFNs) and Fe-doped CeO2 hierarchically porous nanostructured (HPNs) thin films were synthesized by solvothermal method followed by thermal annealing process. Optical absorption for Fe-doped CeO2 HPNs showed an enhanced photoabsorption ability with an estimated band gap energy value of 2.63 eV. Photocatalytic degradation results showed that Fe-doped CeO2 HPNs exhibited an excellent photocatalytic activity in degrading Methylene Blue (MB) dye under UV-visible light irradiation compared with those of CeO2 HRFNs. The degradation rate of Fe-doped CeO2 HPNs was found to be 80% after 180 min and obeys pseudo-first-order equation.

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