Assessment of the Wastewater Treatment Performance of Neodymium-Doped Al2O3 Nanoparticles Under UV Irradiation

This study reports the structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties of Nd-doped Al2O3 nanoparticles synthesized via a high-temperature solid-state reaction method. The impact of varying Nd concentrations (1%, 2%, and 3%) on the host lattice was investigated through X-ray diffraction (XRD), which confirmed the successful integration of Nd3+ ions and revealed a concentration-dependent lattice expansion. Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) demonstrated characteristic 4f-4f transitions of Nd3+, while Tauc plot analysis indicated a systematic blue shift in the optical bandgap from 4.5 eV to 4.63 eV with an increasing dopant content. The photocatalytic efficiency was evaluated through the degradation of Basic Fuchsin (BF) dye under UV irradiation. The Al2O3:3% Nd sample exhibited superior performance, achieving an 83% degradation efficiency within 160 min, following pseudo-first-order Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetics (kobs = 0.02428 min−1). Photoluminescence (PL) studies further corroborated the structural integrity and defect dynamics, showing a significant enhancement in NIR emission (880–920 nm) at higher doping levels without reaching the concentration-quenching threshold. These results suggest that Nd-doped Al2O3 nanoparticles are highly effective for environmental remediation and optoelectronic applications.