Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes using Ce–doped TiO 2 thin films

We fabricated and investigated the Ce–doped TiO 2 (Ce–TiO 2 , 1.0 wt%) photocatalysts thin film using sol–gel and spin coating methods, which can be used to effectively treat toxic organic substances from aqueous environments. The thin films were characterized by X–ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy–dispersive X–ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescent spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer. In terms of quantitative analysis, the Ce–TiO 2 thin film exhibited a lower band gap of 3.21 eV compared to the undoped TiO 2 film with a band gap of 3.38 eV. These results suggest an improved photocatalytic efficiency, which was further confirmed by experimental findings related to wastewater treatment. The photocatalytic behavior under UV irradiation was studied for the degradation of methylene blue, rhodamine B, methyl violet, and tetracycline (TC). In comparison to the pure TiO 2 thin film, the Ce–TiO 2 thin film photocatalyst showed a significantly larger photocatalytic activity. The largest removal efficiency of Ce–TiO 2 photocatalytic thin film was observed on the degradation of TC with an efficiency of 86.42% after 120 min of exposure, suggesting potential applications in treating water pollution caused by hazardous chemicals or other pollutants. Graphical Abstract