Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Ceramics International, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Porous, UV-light-responsive Ce doped zinc oxide (ZnO) inverse opal structures were successfully developed via a sol-gel infiltration method utilizing poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) opal templates. The resulting inverse opal structures were thoroughly characterized for their crystal structure, surface morphology, chemical composition, optical reflectance, and optical emission properties using XRD, SEM, XPS, UV–Vis, and PL techniques, respectively. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of the ZnO wurtzite structure, while XPS confirmed the successful integration of Ce in mixed Ce3+/Ce4+oxidation states along with the generation of oxygen vacancies. Morphological studies have underscored the importance of optimal doping levels (below 1%) to preserve the inverse opal's structural integrity, as higher concentrations lead to partial structural collapse. Photoluminescence (PL) analysis demonstrated that optimal Ce doping enhances charge separation by modifying defect states and recombination dynamics. Critically, the photocatalytic performance under UV irradiation was strongly influenced by the dopant concentration, with the 1% Ce doped ZnO inverse opal structure exhibiting the highest dye degradation efficiency. This superior performance is linked to an optimized balance of light absorption, oxygen vacancy formation, and efficient charge carrier separation, while excessive doping resulted in detrimental recombination. These findings suggest that inverse opal-structured photocatalysts are a promising option for the photocatalytic degradation of various environmental pollutants.