Visible-Light-Responsive PrFeTiO3 Perovskite Photocatalyst for Pollutant Degradation and Antibacterial Applications

PrFeTiO3 perovskite composite was synthesized, and its structural, morphological, chemical, and optical properties were comprehensively characterized. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a selected area electron diffraction (SAED) confirm the formation of an orthorhombic distorted perovskite phase with no secondary impurities. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations show aggregated nanocrystalline domains, while EDS mapping reveals homogeneous cation distribution (Pr, Fe, Ti, O), confirming successful incorporation of Fe and Ti into the perovskite lattice. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis identifies Pr3+, Fe3+, and Ti4+ as the dominant oxidation states, supporting charge-compensated B-site substitution. Optical analysis reveals a bandgap of ~2.0 eV, significantly narrower than pristine titanates, indicating enhanced visible-light absorption. This multi-modal characterization verifies the successful formation of PrFeTiO3 and highlights its potential as a visible-light-active photocatalyst. Although PrTiO3 showed little reactivity to visible light, PrFeTiO3 showed excellent efficiency in visible light photocatalytic reactions. PrFeTiO3 showed more than 20 times better performance than PrTiO3 in the photodegradation of methylene blue in the liquid phase and formaldehyde in the gas phase. Furthermore, PrFeTiO3 showed more than 95% superior bactericidal activity against the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus than PrTiO3. Its high photocatalytic efficiency can be attributed to its strong photosensitivity to visible light and small band gap energy.