@article{
author = "Aškrabić, S. and Araujo, V. D. and Passacantando, M. and Bernardi, M. I. B. and Tomić, N. and Dojčinović, Biljana P. and Manojlović, Dragan D. and Čalija, B. and Miletić, M. and Dohčević-Mitrović, Z. D.",
year = "2017",
abstract = "Pr(OH)(3) one-dimensional nanostructures are a less studied member of lanthanide hydroxide nanostructures, which recently demonstrated an excellent adsorption capacity for organic pollutant removal from wastewater. In this study, Pr1-xEux(OH)(3) (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, and 0.05) defective nanostructures were synthesized by a facile and scalable microwave-assisted hydrothermal method using KOH as an alkaline metal precursor. The phase and surface composition, morphology, vibrational, electronic and optical properties of the as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Raman, infrared (IR), photoluminescence (PL), and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). It was deduced that the incorporation of Eu3+ ions promoted the formation of oxygen vacancies in the already defective Pr(OH)(3), subsequently changing the Pr(OH)(3) nanorod morphology. The presence of KNO3 phase was registered in the Eu-doped samples. The oxygendeficient Eu-doped Pr(OH)(3) nanostructures displayed an improved photocatalytic activity in the removal of reactive orange (RO16) dye under UV-vis light irradiation. An enhanced photocatalytic activity of the Eu-doped Pr(OH)(3) nanostructures was caused by the synergetic effect of oxygen vacancies and Eu3+ (NO3-) ions present on the Pr(OH)(3) surface, the charge separation efficiency and the formation of the reactive radicals. In addition, the 3% Eu-doped sample exhibited very good adsorptive properties due to different morphology and higher electrostatic attraction with the anionic dye. Pr1-xEux(OH)(3) nanostructures with the possibility of tuning their adsorption/photocatalytic properties present a great potential for wastewater treatment.",
publisher = "Royal Soc Chemistry, Cambridge",
journal = "Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics",
title = "Nitrate-assisted photocatalytic efficiency of defective Eu-doped Pr(OH)(3) nanostructures",
volume = "19",
number = "47",
pages = "31756-31765",
doi = "10.1039/c7cp06440c"
}