Preparation and characterization of calcium tungstate nanoparticles with the aid of amino acids and investigation its photocatalytic application

In the current study, calcium tungstate (CaWO4) nanoparticles were synthesized via a large-scale and facile sonochemical method based on the reaction between calcium(II) nitrate hexahydrate and sodium tungstate dihydrate in an aqueous solution. Besides, three amino acids histidine, phenylalanine, and aspartic acid were introduced as capping agents and their effects on the morphology, and particle size of calcium tungstate were investigated. It was found that size and morphology could be easily realized by changing the type of amino acids. XRD, SEM, EDS, and UV–Vis spectroscopy were employed to characterize structural, morphological, and optical properties of CaWO4 nanostructures. CaWO4 nanoparticles indicated a ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature, as evidenced by using vibrating sample magnetometer. To evaluate the catalytic properties of nanocrystalline CaWO4, the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange under ultraviolet light irradiation was carried out.