Development and analysis of novel Sm doped LaSiO for photocatalytic degradation and electrochemical sensing of heavy metals.

This study explores the synthesis of La 10 Si 6 O 27 :Sm3+ nanoparticles (LSNP) with varying samarium (Sm3+) concentrations (0–8 mol%) using eco-friendly solution combustion method with urea as a fuel. Using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), we determined that the nanoparticles typically measure between 15 and 17 nm and display a spherical morphology. These rare earth (RE)-doped nanoparticles were employed as a novel photocatalyst for the degradation of malachite green (MG) dye, exhibit unprecedented photocatalytic efficiency. The release of OH radicals during the degradation process was found to vary with the chemical structure and concentration of the photocatalyst, with the 6 mol% LSNP formulation showing a significant advancement under both UV and sunlight. Electrochemical assessments revealed that these nanoparticles exhibit excellent cyclic stability and robust performance. Notably, the specific capacitance of the nanoparticles increased with the samarium concentration, reaching a peak of 261.3 F/g in 0.1 M HCl. Furthermore, graphite-modified electrodes incorporating these nanoparticles showed significant potential as sensitive materials for detecting mercury and lead in concentrations as low as 1–6 mM, underscoring the versatility and functional adaptability of the synthesized nanoparticles in environmental and electrochemical applications. The prepared La 10 Si 6 O 27 :Sm3+ nanoparticles The nanoparticles demonstrated an optimal photocatalytic efficiency of 95.5 % under UV light and 88.15 % under sunlight at 6 mol% Sm3+ doping. Additionally, a peak specific capacitance of 261.3 F/g was achieved in 0.1 M HCl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]