An efficient Ce-doped MoO3 catalyst and its photo-thermal catalytic synergetic degradation performance for dye pollutant

•Ce is successfully doped into MoO3.•MB dye can be efficiently degraded by Ce(5)/MoO3 while at light-on.•MB dye can also be efficiently degraded by Ce(5)/MoO3 while at light-off.•A photo-thermal catalytic synergetic effect plays a key role in this reaction.

Herein, an efficient Ce-doped MoO3 catalyst is prepared by an impregnation method. Under visible light irradiation (≥ 420 nm) or light-off, Ce(5)-doped MoO3 shows a degradation activity of methylene blue (MB) dye 10 times higher than MoO3 due to the doped Ce. It is proposed that the light-off degradation is predominated by a Mo/Ce redox cycle, instead of a photocatalytic reaction; while the light-on degradation is via a synergetic effect of both photocatalytic oxidation and Mo/Ce redox cycle. This study offers a new concept for environmental cleaning from cost-saving and energy-saving viewpoints.

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