A sol-gel approach of synthesizing and characterizing molybdenum (VI) and aluminum (III) doped copper oxide nanoparticles

In this study, Mo6+ and Al3+ doped CuO nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via the sol-gel method. The resulting nanomaterials were thoroughly characterized to evaluate their structural, optical, morphological, antimicrobial, and photocatalytic properties. Comprehensive analysis was carried out using X-ray diffraction, Ultra Violet–Visible, Fourier Transform Infrared Region, Scanning Electron Microscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy along with antimicrobial and photocatalytic performance assessments. Key structural parameters such as crystalline size, microstrain, and dislocation density were determined from XRD data using the Williamson-Hall plot method. Powder X-ray diffraction spectra of the synthesized samples revealed variations in crystallite size for Mo- and Al-doped CuO nanoparticles which attributes to differences in the ionic radii of the dopant elements. UV–Visible spectroscopy analysis indicated that the optical band gaps were 1.94 and 1.60 eV for Mo- and Al-doped CuO nanoparticles, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy combined with EDX provided insight into the microstructure and elemental composition of the doped nanoparticles. The presence of functional groups in the samples was identified through FTIR spectroscopy. From the PL spectra a shift in the maximum excitation wavelength is found as 467 nm for Mo-CuO and 468 nm for Al-CuO nanoparticles, underscoring the effect of dopant variation on the optical behavior. Antibacterial activity tests demonstrated that Al- and Mo-doped CuO nanoparticles exhibited appreciable zone of inhibition against some bacterial stains. Photocatalytic performance was evaluated by the degradation of Alizarin Red S dye under sunlight irradiation. These findings highlight the potential of Mo- and Al-doped CuO nanoparticles for advanced photocatalytic applications, particularly in wastewater treatment and environmental remediation.