Neodymium-doped Co3O4 nanoparticles prepared via PVP-assisted Sol-gel method for improved visible-light photocatalytic activity

Neodymium (Nd)-doped cobalt oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using the poly-assisted sol–gel method for photocatalytic activity. The phase purity and crystalline nature of the synthesized material were primarily confirmed through PXRD analysis. The optical UV–Visible spectroscopy provides linear decrease in band gap energy due to successful incorporation of Nd³⁺ ions into the Co₃O₄ lattice position. The recombination of electrons and holes are reduced by increasing the Nd³⁺ into Co₃O₄ as confirmed by PL spectroscopy. The spherical shaped morphology was noticed from the FESEM and TEM analysis. The average particle size of the Nd-doped Co₃O₄ nanoparticles were determined at the range of 10 to 150 nm. EDAX analysis reveals that the presence of Co, O and Nd demonstrating that neodymium ions are successfully doped into the Co₃O₄ NPs without impurities. The NdCo₃O₄-1 nanoparticles exhibited superior photodegradation performance of MB and RhB dyes under visible light irradiation compared to other catalysts. This enhanced activity can be attributed to the increased Nd doping concentration, which plays a crucial role in trapping charge carriers and preventing electron-hole pair recombination.