Nanocrystalline ErVO 4 : synthesis, characterization, optical and photocatalytic properties

Nanoparticles sphere-like erbium vanadate (ErVO 4 ) have been successfully synthesized via the co-precipitation method process by using erbium nitrate hexahydrate, NH 4 VO 3 in water. Besides, three surfactants such as polyethylene glycol, sodium dodecyl sulfate and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide were used to investigate their effects on the morphology and particle size of ErVO 4 nanoparticles. According to the vibrating sample magnetometer, erbium vanadate ErVO 4 nanoparticles indicated a paramagnetic behavior at room temperature. The as-synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. To evaluate the catalytic properties of nanocrystalline erbium vanadate ErVO 4 the photocatalytic degradations of methyl orange under ultraviolet light irradiation were carried out.