Lanthanide sulfide decorated graphene oxide nanorods as an effective photocatalysts for reducing dyes, free radicals, and water split to produce H2 in sunlight

Lanthanide sulfide nanorods (LSNR) were synthesized by designing a crash reaction mechanism for reducing crystalline 6 H2O of lanthanoid nitrate (Ln(NO3)3*6H2O) with fine pecies of sodium metal at normal temperature and pressure (NTP) unlike at > 800 -1300 degrees C. The 6 H2O reduction formed a lanthanide hydroxide (Ln(OH)3), which was treated with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on passing it in aquesous solution that formed LSNR (Pr2S3, Sm2S3, Eu2S3, and Gd2S3 NRs) settled at bottom. LSNR have doped graphene oxide (GO) as LSNR-GO and used to photodegrade methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) in sunlight (SL) at pH 2, 7,11, and scavenged 68% 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals at pH-7. Eu2S3-GO and Gd2S3-GO have degraded-98% MB and-99% RhB within 120 min. LSNR-GO has split water to H2andO2, like Gd2S3-GO has generated 2374 mu L H2 in 60 min. The 4f2, 4f5, 4f6, and 4f7electrons (4f#e) of LSNR-GO respectively have hindered a recombination rate of excited electrons (e- ) and holes (h+) of GO functional edges (FE) to 11% higher photocatalytic efficiency. Mutual wavefunctions of FE and 4f#e via Fo center dot rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) have exchanged their energy levels. LSNR-GO as effective photocatalysts have reduced fluorescent industrial wastes in SL. Carbon atoms of GO with equal energy distribution (2s12px12py12pz1) have doped LSNR due to contraction activities. X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy illustrated interlinked LSNR-GO sheets with 4f#e orbital, by shortening a reduction time.

Automated summary

Lanthanide sulfide nanorods were synthesized via a collision reaction mechanism at room temperature, and were utilized for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes and scavenging of free radicals, highlighting their potential applications in environmental waste treatment.