Photocatalytic activity of red emission PVA-GdVO₄:Eu³⁺ nanocomposite towards the degradation of Eosin Y in water

ABSTRACT

The availability of clean and safe water is a fundamental necessity for the sustenance of life and the well-being of our planet. Photocatalytic water treatment using nanomaterials has emerged as a promising and cutting-edge approach to address this pressing environmental challenge. In this work, a co-precipitation method was employed to synthesize europium (Eu³⁺) doped gadolinium metavanadate (GdVO₄). The GdVO₄:Eu³⁺ was encapsulated in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The GdVO₄:Eu³⁺ and PVA-GdVO₄:Eu³⁺ were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), photoluminescence (PL), and UV–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The XRD, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy results confirmed the formation of both GdVO₄:Eu³⁺ crystals and PVA-GdVO₄:Eu³⁺ nanocomposite. Both compounds’ photoluminescence spectra demonstrated effective energy transfer from the GdVO₄ host to the Eu³⁺. Results obtained from the TGA indicate that PVA-GdVO₄:Eu³⁺ nanocomposite is stable at a temperature of 330°C. Under UV irradiation, materials’ photocatalytic efficiency was examined regarding their ability to degrade Eosin Y dye in water. Results from the photocatalytic studies of the synthesized PVA-GdVO₄:Eu³⁺ showed improved photocatalytic activity compared to GdVO₄:Eu³⁺ under the same experimental conditions. When operating under ideal conditions of pH = 2, initial dye concentration of 30 ppm, a catalyst dosage of 200 mg, the degradation of Eosin Y surpassed 95% within 150 min of exposure to light.

KEYWORDS:

• GdVO₄
• europium
• polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)
• photocatalysis
• Eosin Y

Acknowledgements

The authors will like to thank the Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg, South Africa, and the Nanotechnology and Applications Centre, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, India.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data accessibility

The data used in this research article came from our experiments. The data used to support the study’s findings are included in the article and can also be obtained upon request from the corresponding author.

Ethical statement

This article does not address analysis with ethical concerns.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agencies.