Abstract
Gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticles were prepared via the reaction of gadolinium nitrate hexahydrate (Gd (NO3)3·6H2O) and ethylamine (C2H5NH2), and their surface morphology, particle size, and properties were examined by using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. The Gd2O3 nanoparticles were used as the photocatalyst for the degradation of various azo dyes, such as methyl orange (MO), acid orange 7 (AO7), and acid yellow 23 (AY23) under irradiation with UV light. The effect of the experimental parameters (initial concentration of azo dyes, dosage of catalyst, and wavelength of UV light) on the photocatalytic properties of the Gd2O3 nanoparticles were investigated. At a constant H2O2 concentration, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the Gd2O3 nanoparticles for various azo dyes was in the order: methyl orange > acid orange 7 > acid yellow 23. The kinetics study showed that the photocatalytic degradation of azo dyes was followed by a pseudo first-order reaction rate law.
Highlights
The use of a metal oxide semiconductor photocatalyst is a common technique for the degradation of organic pollutants [1,2]
Under UV light irradiation, photocatalytic degradation of azo dyes such as methyl orange (MO), acid orange 7 (AO7), and acid yellow 23 (AY23) was conducted in aqueous solutions with the Gd2 O3 nanoparticles and H2 O2
For the degradation of azo dyes, the photocatalytic effectiveness of the Gd2 O3 nanoparticles declined in the following order: MO > AO7 > AY23
Summary
The use of a metal oxide semiconductor photocatalyst is a common technique for the degradation of organic pollutants [1,2]. The dye degradation mechanism of the AOP involves the generation of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and superoxide anion radicals (·O2 − ) [8,9,10]. Their radicals are unstable and can attack organic pollutants to make harmless products. Rare earth elements have half-filled 4f shells with unpaired electrons and often exhibit an empty 5d shell They are used in a wide range of applications, such as fluorescent materials, high-resolution X-ray medical imaging, ultraviolet (UV) detectors, catalysts, and dopants [11,12,13,14,15,16].
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