Solid state synthesis, characterization and physical properties of CeO2-Dy2Ce2O7 nanocomposites

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Department of inorganic chemistry, University of Semnan, Semnan, Iran

10.22091/jaem.2025.13072.1026

Abstract

Dy₂Ce₂O₇ nanopowders were synthesized for the first time via solid-state reactions using Ce(NO₃)₃·6H₂O and Dy₂O₃ as raw materials in a stoichiometric 1:1 Ce:Dy molar ratio. The synthesized materials were systematically characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), confirming a predominant cubic Dy₂Ce₂O₇ structure with the Fd-3m space group. Structural analysis was carried out using the FullProf program, employing profile matching and constant scale factors to validate phase purity and crystallographic details.

Further morphological assessment using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed that the Dy₂Ce₂O₇ particles exhibited uniform spherical morphologies, suggesting homogeneous nucleation during synthesis. Additionally, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy demonstrated strong light absorption in the UV-visible region, highlighting potential optoelectronic applications. Optical band gap measurements indicated that the direct band gaps for samples S1, S2, S3, and S4 were 2.7 eV, 2.6 eV, 2.5 eV, and 2.4 eV, respectively, confirming tunable electronic properties. The combination of structural, morphological, and optical analyses underscores Dy₂Ce₂O₇ nanopowders as promising materials for various technological applications, including catalysis and energy-related fields.

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Advances in Energy and Materials Research

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 28 September 2024

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