Nd-doped CuO/ZnO and ZnO/CuO heterojunctions for simultaneous UV blocking and malachite green detoxification.

ABSTRACT: A novel two-step wet-chemical synthesis produced neodymium-doped core/shell heterojunctions, Copper(II) oxide (neodymium)/Zinc oxide(CuO(Nd)/ZnO and Zinc oxide (neodymium)/Copper(II) oxide ZnO(Nd)/CuO), with tunable optoelectronic and photocatalytic properties. Structural characterization via x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals uniform crystallite sizes (6.3-31.4 nanometers- nm) and distinct morphologies: hexagonal for CuO(Nd)/ZnO and spherical for ZnO(Nd)/CuO. Incorporating neodymium induced lattice strain (7.8-10.2 × 10⁻⁴) and increased Urbach energies (5.0-15.3 millielectron volts-meV), enhancing defect states. Tauc analysis demonstrated bandgap narrowing to 2.49-3.17 eV for ZnO and 1.49-1.55 eV for CuO. ZnO(Nd)/CuO achieved a remarkable 94.6% degr

SUBMITTER: Mohammed SO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12484677 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature