BACKGROUND Photocatalytic degradation is considered as an effective and eco-friendly alternative for removal of persistent pollutants. The enhancement of the photocatalytic properties of conventional photocatalysts such as CeO(2)can be realized by surface modification with metals or nonmetals, which allows a reduction in the recombination frequency of charge carriers. In this study, superficially phosphated CeO(2)materials with various anion contents obtained using an impregnation method were evaluated in the photodegradation of phenol under UV irradiation. RESULTS The addition of phosphate anions promoted an increase in the surface area and a slight decrease in the crystallite size. The anchorage of the phosphate anions was via bidentate mode. An enhancement in the degradation of the pollutant was evidenced using the phosphated materials with respect to the results observed using unmodified CeO2. Also, an effect of the content of anions was evidenced, the optimal amount being equal to 1.0 wt%. CONCLUSIONS The surface modification of CeO(2)with phosphate anions favors a control of the physical and chemical properties of the semiconductor and the effective separation of electron-hole pairs, which leads to an increase in the photocatalytic activity. (c) 2020 Society of Chemical Industry