Density analysis and photocatalytic activity of barium-borate glasses including lanthanum oxide (La2O3): Insights through artificial intelligence approaches

Abstract

The study conducted in this work focused on the characterization of glasses that were produced in a B2O3-NaF-BaO matrix with different concentrations of lanthanum oxide (La2O3). X-ray diffraction (XRD) examination confirmed the amorphous character of the synthesized glasses. An increase in density was observed when La2O3 was added. This was attributed to the replacement of lighter BaO molecules with heavier La2O3 molecules. The XGBoost technique, which uses various regression models to predict density, performed best. The DTA curve showed that the glass transition temperature climbed from 407˚C to 446˚C as the La2O3 concentration increased. As the La2O3 level increased, the glasses showed greater thermal stability. Furthermore, the obtained glasses showed improved methylene blue (MB) photocatalytic degradation. These results highlight the structural, thermal, and photocatalytic enhancement brought about by the incorporation of La2O3 into the glass matrix, indicating possible uses in several technological fields.