Phytoconstituents assisted green synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles for thermal decomposition and dye remediation

A cost effective green synthesis was adopted to synthesize the cerium dioxide (CeO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) using leaf extract of Azadirachta indica plant as reducing agent for thermal and photo catalytic processes. The composition and surface properties of green synthesized CeO₂ NPs were determined by observing the elemental analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The thermal catalytic activity of green synthesized CeO₂NPs toward the decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) was comprehensively demonstrated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry analysis techniques. The addition of green synthesized CeO₂ NPs in AP showed a significant drop in decomposition temperature of AP by 130 °C and reduction in activation energy of pure AP, indicating excellent thermal catalytic behavior of CeO₂ NPs. Photocatalytic activity was examined by performing the Rhodamine B dye photodegradation and observed that the green synthesized CeO₂ NPs exhibited the good degradation rate of 96% within 120 min.