Controllable fabrication of europium tungstate nanoparticles in the presence of new capping agents and investigation of their photocatalytic properties

摘要

For the first time, we reported the facile synthesis of semiconducting europium tungstate Eu_2(WO_4)_3 nanoparticles using Eu(NO_3)_3⋅6H_2O and sodium tungstate dihydrate as the starting reagent. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different capping agents such as glycine, histidine, and phenylalanine on photocatalytic properties of final products. The formation of pure crystallized Eu_2(WO_4)_3 nanocrystals occurred when the precursor was heat-treated at 700 °C in air for 3 h. The crystallite size and structure of the products have been confirmed by XRD. Also, the morphology and particle size of Eu_2(WO_4)_3 nanoparticles was analyzed by SEM images. The optical properties were investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Furthermore, the photocatalysis results reveal that the maximum decolorization of 95% for methyl orange occurred with Eu_2(WO_4)_3 nanoparticles in 200 min under visible light irradiation.