Tailoring the Structural and Optical Properties of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Prepared by an Ecofriendly Green Route Using Plant Extracts

oleh: Nicusor Fifere, Rodinel Ardeleanu, Florica Doroftei, Marius Dobromir, Anton Airinei

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-01-01

Deskripsi

The present study explores an environmentally friendly green approach to obtain cerium oxide nanoparticles via a biomediated route using <i>Mellisa officinalis</i> and <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> plant extracts as reducing agents. The as-prepared nanoparticles were studied for their structural and morphological characteristics using XRD diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, Raman, fluorescence and electronic absorption spectra, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XRD pattern has shown the centered fluorite crystal structure of cerium oxide nanoparticles with average crystallite size below 10 nm. These observations were in agreement with the STEM data. The cubic fluorite structure of the cerium oxide nanoparticles was confirmed by the vibrational mode around 462 cm<sup>−1</sup> due to the Ce-08 unit. The optical band gap was estimated from UV-Vis reflectance spectra, which was found to decrease from 3.24 eV to 2.98 eV. A higher specific area was determined for the sample using <i>M. officinalis</i> aqueous extract. The EDX data indicated that only cerium and oxygen are present in the green synthesized nanoparticles.