Defect Engineering Enhances the Charge Separation of CeO(2) Nanorods toward Photocatalytic Methyl Blue Oxidation

Defect-rich photocatalytic materials with excellent charge transfer properties are very popular. Herein, Sm-doped CeO(2) nanorods were annealed in a N(2) atmosphere to obtain the defective Sm-doped CeO(2) photocatalysts (Vo–Sm–CeO(2)). The morphology and structure of Vo–Sm–CeO(2) were systematically characterized. The Vo–Sm–CeO(2) nanorods demonstrated an excellent photodegradation performance of methyl blue under visible light irradiation compared to CeO(2) nanorods and Sm–CeO(2). Reactive oxygen species including OH, ·O(2)(−), and h(+) were confirmed to play a pivotal role in the removal of pollutants via electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Doping Sm enhances the conductivity of CeO(2) nanorods, benefiting photogenerated electrons being removed from the surface reactive sites, resulting in the superior performance.