Application of Gold‐Doped Cerium Nanorods in the Photodegradation of Methylene Blue and Oxidation of Cyclohexene

ABSTRACT We study cerium nanorod materials used in the photodegradation of two reactions: the first is the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB), and the second is the photo‐oxidation of cyclohexene. The nanorods are prepared by the conventional hydrothermal route, while gold doping is carried out by deposition–precipitation. The prepared materials are characterized using various techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis, N 2 adsorption–desorption, Diffuse reflectance UV‐visible spectroscopy (DRS/UV‐Vis), and x‐ray diffraction (XRD). However, dyes are eliminated by applying UV/visible irradiation in the presence of the photocatalysts. The operating conditions indicate complete degradation of the industrial dye after 60 min of reaction. The photo‐oxidation of cyclohexene shows a major production of epoxide under green conditions.