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<p>MgAl<sub>2-x</sub>Gd<sub>x</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanoparticles (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4) were prepared by the sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that the prepared samples had cubic crystal structures. No secondary phases were detected due to Gd<sup>3+</sup> doping. Estimated average grain sizes are of the order of 17, 8, and 6 nm for pure and Gd-substituted MgAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> spinel, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed the presence of Mg, Al, and O, as well as Mg, Al, Gd, and O, for both pure and substituted MgAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> samples. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed that the prepared spinels are nanoscale, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) analysis confirms the high purity of the samples prepared. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns indicated a highly crystalline structure. Optical properties show that the optical energy gap (Eg) increases with the substitution of MgAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> spinel by Gd. The photocatalytic activity of pure and doped MgAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanoparticles was then tested for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene orange (MO) dye. The results indicate that Gd-substituted MgAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> spinels exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity and a notable 71% efficiency in dye degradation within 30 minutes under UV irradiation compared to 3% for unsubstituted MgAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub>. The recyclability test showed that MgAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> is highly stable. After four cycles, its degradation performance decreased by 6%, from 71% in the first cycle to approximately 65%. These findings highlight MgAl<sub>1.6</sub>Gd<sub>0.4</sub>O<sub>4</sub> as a promising candidate for the development of advanced materials for the efficient removal of water pollutants.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Microstructural and optical properties of rare-earth Gd-substituted MgAl2O4 nanoparticles prepared by the sol-gel method and their photocatalytic properties

  • 期刊论文

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月30日

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  • Wiem Ben Ameur,
  • Wael Chouk,
  • Mohamed Ali Saidani,
  • Mouldi Zouaoui

摘要

MgAl2-xGdxO4 nanoparticles (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4) were prepared by the sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that the prepared samples had cubic crystal structures. No secondary phases were detected due to Gd3+ doping. Estimated average grain sizes are of the order of 17, 8, and 6 nm for pure and Gd-substituted MgAl2O4 spinel, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed the presence of Mg, Al, and O, as well as Mg, Al, Gd, and O, for both pure and substituted MgAl2O4 samples. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed that the prepared spinels are nanoscale, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) analysis confirms the high purity of the samples prepared. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns indicated a highly crystalline structure. Optical properties show that the optical energy gap (Eg) increases with the substitution of MgAl2O4 spinel by Gd. The photocatalytic activity of pure and doped MgAl2O4 nanoparticles was then tested for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene orange (MO) dye. The results indicate that Gd-substituted MgAl2O4 spinels exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity and a notable 71% efficiency in dye degradation within 30 minutes under UV irradiation compared to 3% for unsubstituted MgAl2O4. The recyclability test showed that MgAl2O4 is highly stable. After four cycles, its degradation performance decreased by 6%, from 71% in the first cycle to approximately 65%. These findings highlight MgAl1.6Gd0.4O4 as a promising candidate for the development of advanced materials for the efficient removal of water pollutants.

Graphical Abstract