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Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity and Biosensing of Gadolinium Substituted BiFeO 3 Nanoparticles
Author(s) -
Basavarajappa Patil S.,
Seethya Bhojya Naik H.,
Ganganagappa Nagaraju,
Eshwaraswamy Kumaraswamy B.,
Kakarla Raghava Reddy
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemistryselect
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 34
ISSN - 2365-6549
DOI - 10.1002/slct.201801198
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , high resolution transmission electron microscopy , materials science , selected area diffraction , indigo carmine , photodegradation , photoluminescence , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , nanoparticle , transmission electron microscopy , nuclear chemistry , gadolinium , analytical chemistry (journal) , methyl orange , scanning electron microscope , nanotechnology , chemistry , chemical engineering , catalysis , organic chemistry , optoelectronics , engineering , metallurgy , composite material
Gadolinium (Gd 3+ ) substituted bismuth ferrite (BF) photocatalysts were synthesized using sol‐gel method and the effect of Gd 3+ substitution was investigated on the structural, optical and surface properties of Gd 3+ substituted BF nanoparticles. Different techniques such as X‐ray diffraction (XRD), high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) with Selected area electron diffraction pattern (SAED), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), ultraviolet‐visible diffuse reflection spectra (UV‐DRS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET), and photoluminescence spectra (PL) were employed to characterize the nanoparticles. Compared to nascent BF, the Gd 3+ substituted BF nanoparticles showed improved long‐range ordering, smaller pore diameter, higher porosity and redshift of the band gap. These properties were responsible for their improved photocatalytic activity, when tested for the photodegradation of organic dyes. It was found that 3 % Gd 3+ substituted BF nanoparticles exhibited enhanced the photocatalytic activity of indigo carmine dye with a degradation ranging from 34 % to 69 %, while for Congo red dye the degradation varied from 37 % to 73 % under the visible light. Furthermore, bio‐sensing properties of BF materials were improved as detected by the uric acid using cyclic voltammogram technique.