Tarmizi Taher, Muhammad Alifianto Putra Ramadhani, Sephia Amanda Muhtar, Andika Munandar, Rizky Aflaha, Dian Ahmad Hapidin, Khairurrijal Khairurrijal, Kuwat Triyana, Aditya Rianjanu
This study presents a novel approach to enhance the photocatalytic performance of CeO2 for tetracycline (TC) removal through controlled niobium (Nb) doping. Nb-doped CeO2 nanoparticles (Nb1–CeO2, Nb3–CeO2, and Nb5–CeO2) were synthesized via a hydrothermal method and characterized using XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDS, and TEM. XRD confirmed that the materials remained in an uncalcined cerium carbonate phase, with Nb5–CeO2 showing mixed-phase features and greater hydroxyl functionalization, as revealed by FTIR. SEM and TEM analyses showed that Nb doping suppressed anisotropic growth, producing uniformly dispersed spherical nanoparticles with increased structural disorder. EDS mapping verified homogeneous Nb incorporation. Photocatalytic tests demonstrated that Nb5–CeO2 achieved the highest TC degradation rate (k = 0.00705 min−1), with a normalized rate of 0.141 min−1 g−1, nearly double that of undoped CeO2 (0.074 min−1 g−1), confirming the superior catalytic activity of the doped material. Scavenger experiments identified superoxide radicals (•O2⁻) and photogenerated holes (h⁺) as the dominant reactive species. Moreover, Nb5–CeO2 maintained excellent stability over multiple reuse cycles. These findings establish Nb doping as a powerful strategy for engineering defect-rich, hydroxyl-functionalized CeO2 photocatalysts and provide valuable insights for the development of recyclable, high-performance materials for wastewater treatment under light irradiation. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.
Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Infrastructure and Regional Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Terusan Ryacudu, Way Hui, Jati Agung, Lampung Selatan, 35365, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Sekip Utara, PO Box BLS 21, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia; Research Group of Physics and Technology of Advanced Materials, Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jalan Ganesa No. 10, Jawa Barat, Bandung, 40132, Indonesia; Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Terusan Ryacudu, Way Hui, Jati Agung, Lampung Selatan, 35365, Indonesia; Center for Green and Sustainable Materials, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Terusan Ryacudu, Way Hui, Jati Agung, Lampung Selatan, 35365, Indonesia