Optical, magnetic properties and visible light photocatalytic activity of CeO2/SnO2 nanocomposites

CeO2/SnO2 nanocomposites were synthesized by the wet chemical method, using various pH such as 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5. The prepared CeO2/SnO2 samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-DRS) and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The XRD results confirmed the presence of both cubic fluorite (CeO2) and cassiterite (SnO2) structure. The FTIR results confirmed the formation of a Ce-O and Sn-O bond. The EDX studies showed the chemical compositions of the CeO2/SnO2 sample. The TEM analysis showed that the agglomeration of the particles decreases with the increase of the pH value. The VSM analysis confirms the ferromagnetic behavior of CeO2/SnO2 nanocomposites. The photoluminescence emission studies of CeO2/SnO2 nanocomposites showed strong peaks in the UV region, and several peaks in the visible region which are likely to have originated from the oxygen vacancies and are potential material for electronic device applications and catalytic activities. The photocatalytic activities of the prepared (pH-6.5) CeO2/SnO2 nanocomposites are evaluated using the degradation of aqueous methylene blue (MB) solution under visible light irradiation.