Influence on the effect of Gd rare earth doped WO3 nanoparticles for enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial activities: A nanoplate like morphology

Optimizing the photocatalytic antibacterial properties of nanomaterials by defect engineering is becoming a significant tool. The synthesis and characterization of Gd- doped tungsten oxide (Gd:WO3 ) nanoparticles for potential applications in wastewater treatment and antibacterial activity. Synthesis of the Gd:WO3 nanoparticles were prepared using the co-precipitation method, known for its simplicity and cost-effectiveness in producing nanomaterials. Samples were characterization by XRD confirmed the monoclinic crystal system of all samples and the incorporation of Gd ions into the WO3 lattice. SEM and TEM revealed a nanoplate-shaped morphology of the synthesized nanostructures. EDS confirmed the composition of Gd:WO3 . FT-IR verified the presence of functional groups. XPS investigated the effect of Gd doping on the valence states of Gd:WO3 , revealing the location of Gd ions within the WO3 lattice. UV-Vis showed increased absorption in the visible region and a decrease in the band gap with increasing Gd concentration up to 5 wt%, indicating potential photocatalytic properties. The nanoparticles demonstrated significant photocatalytic activity, achieving a 98 % degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light exposure. Among them, the Gd (5 wt%) nanoparticles exhibited the highest photocatalytic performance within 120 min. Additionally, these Gd (5 wt%) nanoparticles showed the greatest antibacterial effectiveness against Staphylococcus aureus, with an inhibition zone of 20 mm. Moreover, the study demonstrates the potential of Gd-doped tungsten oxide nanoparticles as efficient and environmentally friendly materials for wastewater treatment and antibacterial applications.