Physicochemical investigation and development of photocatalytic composite containing Praseodymium (III, IV) oxide (Pr₆O₁₁), Neodymium (III) oxide (Nd₂O₃), and graphene oxide (GO) for methylene blue degradation

Abstract This study focuses on the development of novel photo-catalytic materials and their application in the degradation of methylene blue dye in textile wastewater. The research investigates Pr6O11/ Nd2O3/GO, Pr6O11/ Nd2O3, Pr6O11/GO and Nd2O3/GO composites. The composite materials photo-catalytic activity is evaluated for different light exposure durations. The results demonstrate that the generated composite materials exhibited greater photo-catalytic efficiency than individual catalysts. Moreover, the Pr6O11, Nd2O3 and GO based composites shows acceptable thermal stability up to 700 °C. Photoluminescence (PL) detects emission electronic transition was ⁓2.64 eV. The indirect optical gap of Pr6O11/Nd2O3/GO composite hits 5.6 eV. Moreover, the ternary compositions had the best dye removal performance, reaching a maximum removal efficacy of 92.3% after 150 min. The potential of these composite materials to remove methylene blue dye and its use in eco-friendly water treatment techniques are highlighted in the study.