Sustainable synthesis of Nd2O3 nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline in aqueous media

Abstract

The great discrepancy in crystal size and incongruity in the crystal interface of catalysts lead to decreased catalytic performance, limiting their application for antibiotic removal. Herein, a regulation strategy via intrinsic ion interpenetration is proposed to engineer nanostructured Nd₂O₃ photocatalyst for efficient photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC). Mechanism studies indicate that Nd₂O₃ NPs reduce metal ions into their elemental form, enabling oxygen atoms to adhere to the metal surfaces. Moreover, the degradation and mineralization rate of TC increased by 92% within 40 minutes by following first-order kinetics. Combining photocatalytic degradation with a first-order kinetics reaction could produce the oxygen-reactive species, which helps to enhance the degradation and mineralization rates of TC pollutants. Furthermore, the antibacterial efficiency of the as-synthesized Nd₂O₃ NPs was assessed against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. This work presents a synergistic effect of Nd₂O₃ NPs in water purification and biomedical applications.