Electrochemical performance and photocatalytic activity of LaOCl: Eu3+: its application in tin sensing and dye degradation.

A series of europium doped lanthanum oxychloride samples were prepared through solid state method which were utilized as an electrode material and also as photocatalyst. The compounds form tetragonal phase having P4/nmm space group (No. 129). The sample's energy band-gap vary in between 4.14 and 4.35 eV. With a carbon paste electrode in a 0.1 M KOH electrolyte, Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and Electrochemical (AC) Impedance Spectroscopy are performed. Results reveal that the sample synthesized can be an electrode material for sensing tin in alkaline medium in the concentration range of 1 to 5 mM. Also, the samples are considered to be photocatalyst for the decolourization of Rhodamine.B (Rh.B) dye in aqueous medium concentration of 10 ppm using UV light irradiation. LaOCl:Eu3+ sample as catalyst be able to degrade the Rh.B dye to an extent of 90% in 60 mins. These results demonstrated the relevance of synthesized compound for sensor and photocatalytic applications. Novelty: In this article, the La1-xEuxOCl (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.09) synthesised compounds were characterized for morphological nature, structural feature, and functional group analysis with band gap energies. Very particularly for the first time the synthesized samples have undergone preliminary research into their possible usage as electrodes for sensor applicability involving the detection of Tin in alkaline media. Moreover, the samples offered improved photocatalytic effectiveness for the decolourization of Rhodamine.B dye under the UV light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]