Synthesis, characterization, and investigation of magnetic, photocatalytic and antibacterial properties of TbVO₄ nanoparticles

In this work we synthesized the Nano-sized TbVO₄ particles by co-precipitation method from a solution that containing various carbohydrates such as glucose, lactose and starch. We studied the effect of these green capping agents on the dimensions, morphology and optical behavior of NPs too. Studies on the structure, morphology, and the optical behavior of products were made through XRD, SEM, EDX, and UV–Vis spectroscopy studies. The results showed that pure nano-sized TbVO₄ crystals could be prepared through thermally treating the precipitation product, i.e. the precursor, at 550 °C for 5 h under an air atmosphere. Vibrating magnetometery of the samples revealed that it has a paramagnetic behavior under ambient conditions. Studies on the role of the presence of these nano-sized particles in a photo-degradation reaction demonstrated that a maximum decolorization of around 83% could be achieved for the UV-induced degradation of methyl orange in the presence of the terbium vanadate nano-crystals after 1 h of treatment under UV light. The NPs have been show a good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.