Ternary Ag·Eu2O3·SrCO3 nanomaterials for enhanced photocatalytic performance of CV dye and efficient nitrite sensor development

Abstract

Ternary Ag·Eu₂O₃·SrCO₃ nanomaterials (NMs) were developed using a facile co-precipitation process. XRD, SEM, EDS, FTIR, PL, and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the NMs. The XRD pattern showed an average particle size of 53.62 nm and good crystallinity. The photocatalytic activity of crystal violet (CV) dye was assessed using several variables, including pH, reusability, and varying concentrations of NMs in visible light. The NM dose of 0.06 g in basic medium exhibited the best dye removal efficiency of 97.7%. Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria were suppressed by the NMs. This paper reports on the fabrication of an efficient and sensitive nitrite sensor in the aqueous phase using Ag·Eu₂O₃·SrCO₃ NMs, and a constructed glassy carbon electrode (GCE) using 5% Nafion. The fabricated nitrite sensor exhibited a linear relationship between the oxidation peak current and nitrite concentration over a wide concentration range of 0.15 to 50.0 µM, which is the linear dynamic range (LDR). The detection limit (LOD) and sensitivity were calculated as 0.61 µM (S/N = 3) and 27.4261 µA µM⁻¹ cm⁻², respectively. The detection of nitrite was not affected by common interfering ions. The Ag·Eu₂O₃·SrCO₃/Nafion/GCE sensor was able to identify nitrite in natural samples. The newly reconfigured Nafion/GCE that used Ag·Eu₂O₃·SrCO₃ NMs exhibited high repeatability, reproducibility, selectivity, sensitivity, and long-term stability toward nitrite. It introduced a new ternary nanostructure material for the efficient detection of environmental contaminants, as well as functioning as an efficient photocatalyst for environmental and ecological protection on a broad scale.