Herein, we report a facile succinate mediated sonochemical method for the synthesis of ZnO nanorod photocatalysts doped with cerium. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), diffuse reflectance UV-visible (UV-Vis DRS) spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, particle size distribution analysis and BET surface area analysis. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that as synthesized nanostructures correspond to various planes of a single hexagonal ZnO phase. The pristine ZnO phase was retained up till 4 at.% Ce-doping, however, on further increase in Ce concentration (6 and 8 at.%) a separate cubic CeO2 phase appears. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photodegradation of hazardous crystal violet (CV) dye under sunlight irradiation. Among the tested samples, the sample with optimal doping concentration of 4 at.% Ce exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity and achieved 99% degradation of CV dye within 100 min of sun-light irradiation. This photocatalytic activity was found to be 3-fold excess as compared to that of commercial ZnO at identical experimental conditions. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.