The role of reduced graphene oxide in enhancing the photocatalytic and anticancer activities of Gd2O3 nanorods
摘要
This study was planned to investigate the photocatalytic and anticancer activities of hydrothermally synthesized Gd₂O₃/RGO nanocomposites (NCs). X‑ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy‑Dispersive X‑ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier‑Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Photoluminescence (PL) Spectroscopy, and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) Spectroscopy were successfully applied to characterize the properties of the produced NRs and NCs. The effect of the crystallinity of Gd₂O₃ NRs after adding the RGO sheet was confirmed by XRD. TEM/HRTEM images revealed a rod-like shape and homogeneous incorporation on RGO sheets. EDX analysis confirmed the elemental composition. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by UV-induced degradation of BBR for 120 min. Results showed that the photocatalytic efficiency of Gd2O3/RGO NCs (70.23%) was higher than that of pure Gd2O3 NRs (41.25%). In vitro cytotoxicity studies showed improved anticancer efficacy against A549 lung cancer cells while having good biocompatibility toward normal HUVECs for 24 h using the MTT assay. This study highlights that Gd2O3/RGO NCs need more in vivo studies.