Luminescent BaWO4:Dy3+ Nanoparticles for Detection of Pb2+ and Fe3+ Ions in Aqueous Solution.

BaWO4:Dy3+ nanoparticles and BaWO4:Dy3+ co-doped Pb2+ nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via a solvothermal method at 140°C for 24 h, employing dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as the solvent. From the x-ray diffraction (XRD) study, the prepared nanoparticles show a tetragonal system. The BaWO4:Dy3+ nanoparticles exhibited strong luminescent behavior, which was significantly enhanced by a factor of two to three upon co-doping with Pb2+ ions. This enhancement is attributed to efficient energy transfer from Pb2+ to Dy3+ ions within the host lattice. Importantly, the BaWO4:Dy3+ nanoparticles demonstrated selective luminescence enhancement in response to Pb2+ ions in aqueous media, whereas the BaWO4:Dy3+ co-doped Pb2+ nanoparticles exhibited more luminescence quenching upon exposure to Fe3+ ions. These findings highlight the potential of BaWO4:Dy3+ and BaWO4:Dy3+ co-doped Pb2+ nanoparticles as effective probes for the selective detection of Pb2+ and Fe3+ ions, respectively, in water-based environments.