Europium oxide (Eu 2 O 3 ) has attracted much attention due to its unique and tunable physicochemical properties. In this work, microwave-assisted synthesis was used to couple Eu 2 O 3 NPs with CNTs and RGO to enhance their overall performance. The synthesized Eu 2 O 3 NPs, Eu 2 O 3 /RGO nanocomposites, and Eu 2 O 3 /CNTs nanocomposites were analyzed by various characterization techniques including XRD, TEM, XPS, FTIR, DLS, UV–Vis, and PL to examine enhanced structural, morphological, chemical, surface-charge, and optical properties. XRD results confirmed the successful incorporation of Eu 2 O 3 into CNTs and RGO, showing crystallite sizes of ∼26–30 nm, with a slight decrease observed for the RGO-based nanocomposite. TEM images further showed the uniform anchoring of Eu 2 O 3 nanoparticles onto RGO sheets and CNT surfaces. XPS analysis shows the successful incorporation of Eu, O, and C elements in the Eu 2 O 3 /RGO NCs. FTIR analysis verified the interaction and chemical bonding between Eu 2 O 3 and carbon-based materials. UV-Vis and PL characterization confirmed changes in the absorbance characteristics of the hybrids with RGO and CNTs, which were attributed to improved light absorption and band-gap modification, with values ranging from 3.58 to 3.20 eV. DLS measurements showed that Eu 2 O 3 /CNTs and Eu 2 O 3 /RGO NCs have distinct hydrodynamic sizes and better colloidal stability compared to the pristine Eu 2 O 3 , as confirmed by more negative zeta potential values. The results showed that the presence of RGO enhances the physicochemical properties, such as the charge transport properties, suppresses recombination of electrons and holes, and improves the structural and optical quality of Eu 2 O 3 . This study suggests that Eu 2 O 3 /RGO and Eu 2 O 3 /CNTs are promising candidates for applications in environmental and radiation shielding.
Emaan Alsubhe (Sun,) studied this question.