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چکیده
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In this study, CeO2 and Co3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized via a green, eco-friendly method and thoroughly characterized using XRD, BET, FESEM, TEM, EDX mapping, and UV–Vis DRS. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of crystalline cubic structures, with average crystallite sizes of 14 nm for CeO2 and 20 nm for Co3O4. TEM analysis further revealed particle sizes of about 25 nm and 35 nm for CeO2 and Co3O4 respectively. FESEM coupled with EDX and elemental mapping demonstrated spherical morphology for CeO2 and octahedral morphology for Co3O4, along with homogeneous elemental distribution, confirming their compositional purity and structural integrity. BET analysis demonstrated specific surface areas of 45.837 m²/g for CeO2 and 14.34 m²/g for Co3O4. DRS analysis showed optical band gap energies of 2.86 eV for CeO2 and 2.09 eV for Co3O4 highlighting their suitability for visible-light-driven photocatalysis. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared nanoparticles was investigated by tetracycline (TC) degradation in aqueous solution. The results showed that 93% of TC was degraded in 75 minutes under visible-light irradiation using CeO2 nanoparticles. The reusability test showed that the cerium oxide nanoparticles maintained their stability after five reuse cycles. Additionally, Co3O4 nanoparticles degraded 95% of tetracycline under visible-light irradiation within 3 hours. The activity of cobalt oxide nanoparticles remained unchanged during four consecutive cycles of use. Radical scavenger experiments highlighted the involvement of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) as the primary reactive species in the photocatalytic process.
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