Structural, photoluminescence, and photocatalytic performances of Ce3+‐activated orthovanadate oxides M3(VO4)2 (M: Mg or Zn) synthesized by solution combustion route

Abstract

AbstractThis paper presents a research investigation into the synthesis of vanadate oxides M3(VO4)2 (M: Mg or Zn) using the solution combustion method and investigates their structural, photoluminescence, and photocatalytic properties after introducing cerium (Ce) as a dopant. The resulting synthesized samples all display an orthorhombic crystalline structure with crystallite sizes ranging from 71 to 110 nm. Morphological diversity among the samples is revealed through field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) imagery. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy discloses that the introduction of Ce3+ as a dopant leads to an increase in the band gap energy. Notably, when excited at a wavelength of 340 nm, the photoluminescence emission intensity reaches its peak across all samples. This intensity undergoes enhancement due to Ce3+ doping, causing a slight shift toward shorter wavelengths attributable to the augmented band gap resulting from the dopant. Markedly, among the investigated materials, Ce3+‐activated Mg3(VO4)2 stands out with the most pronounced emission intensity, positioning it as a highly promising luminescent material. Additionally, the incorporation of Ce3+ has a positive effect on the photocatalytic performance of Mg3(VO4)2, resulting in notable improvement.