Egg white synthesis and photoluminescence of platelike clusters of CeO ₂ nanoparticles

This paper reports the synthesis of platelike CeO₂ nanoparticles by a simple, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly method using cerium(III) acetate hydrate and freshly extracted egg white (ovalbumin) in an aqueous medium. A platelike structure of CeO₂ nanoparticles having the particle size of 6-30 nm was obtained by calcining the precursors in air at 400, 500, and 600°C, for 2 h. Results from XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and SAED analysis indicated that the synthesized CeO₂ nanoparticles have the fluorite structure of the bulk CeO₂. All samples show a strong UV-vis absorption below 400 nm (3.10 eV) with a well-defined absorbance peak at around 284 nm (4.37 eV). The estimated direct band gaps are 3.61, 3.59, and 3.57 eV for the samples calcined at 400, 500, and 600°C, respectively. These band gaps are 0.42, 0.40, and 0.38 eV higher than that of bulk CeO₂, indicating the quantum confinement effect of the nanosize particles. The 400 and 500°C calcined samples exhibited similar emission peaks of room-temperature photoluminescence. However, the sample calcined at 600°C exhibited the strongest UV emission band at 392 nm (3.17 eV) because of its better-defined crystallinity compared to the other two samples calcined at 400 and 500°C.