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Article

Synthesis of Sm-Doped CuO–SnO2:FSprayed Thin Film: An Eco-Friendly Dual-Function Solution for the Buffer Layer and an Effective Photocatalyst for Ampicillin Degradation

by
Ghofrane Charrada
1,
Bechir Yahmadi
2,
Badriyah Alhalaili
3,
Moez Hajji
1,
Sarra Gam Derouich
4,
Ruxandra Vidu
5,6,* and
Najoua Turki Kamoun
1,6
1
LR99ES13 Laboratoire de Physique de La Matière Condensée (LPMC), Département de Physique, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis 2092, Tunisia
2
Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computers, Al-Lith, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia
3
Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Program, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Safat 13109, Kuwait
4
ITODYS, Paris Université, CNRS UMR-7086, 75205 Paris, France
5
Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
6
American Romanian Academy of Arts and Sciences, Citrus Heights, CA 95616, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Technologies 2025, 13(5), 197; https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13050197
Submission received: 21 March 2025 / Revised: 23 April 2025 / Accepted: 25 April 2025 / Published: 13 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Water and Environmental Technologies of Global Relevance)
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Abstract

Synthesis and characterization of undoped and samarium-doped CuO–SnO2:F thin films using the spray pyrolysis technique are presented. The effect of the samarium doping level on the physical properties of these films was thoroughly analyzed. X-ray diffraction patterns proved the successful synthesis of pure CuO–SnO2:F thin films, free from detectable impurities. The smallest crystallite size was observed in 6% Sm-doped CuO–SnO2:F thin films. The 6% Sm-doped CuO–SnO2films demonstrated an increasedsurface area of 40.6 m2/g, highlighting improved textural properties, which was further validated by XPS analysis.The bandgap energy was found to increase from 1.90 eV for undoped CuO–SnO2:F to 2.52 eV for 4% Sm-doped CuO–SnO2:F, before decreasing to 2.03 eV for 6% Sm-doped CuO–SnO2:F thin films. Photoluminescence spectra revealed various emission peaks, suggesting a quenching effect. A numerical simulation of a new solar cell based on FTO/ZnO/Sm–CuO–SnO2:F/X/Mo was carried out using Silvaco Atlas software, where X represented the absorber layer CIGS, CdTe, and CZTS. The results showed that the solar cell with CIGS as the absorber layer achieved the highest efficiency of 15.98. Additionally, the thin films demonstrated strong photocatalytic performance, with 6% Sm-doped CuO–SnO2:F showing 86% degradation of ampicillin after two hours. This comprehensive investigation provided valuable insights into the synthesis, properties, and potential applications of Sm-doped CuO–SnO2 thin films, particularly for solar energy and pharmaceutical applications.
Keywords: solar cell; photocatalysis; antibiotic degradation; doping effect; thin films; spray pyrolysis technology solar cell; photocatalysis; antibiotic degradation; doping effect; thin films; spray pyrolysis technology

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MDPI and ACS Style

Charrada, G.; Yahmadi, B.; Alhalaili, B.; Hajji, M.; Derouich, S.G.; Vidu, R.; Kamoun, N.T. Synthesis of Sm-Doped CuO–SnO2:FSprayed Thin Film: An Eco-Friendly Dual-Function Solution for the Buffer Layer and an Effective Photocatalyst for Ampicillin Degradation. Technologies 2025, 13, 197. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13050197

AMA Style

Charrada G, Yahmadi B, Alhalaili B, Hajji M, Derouich SG, Vidu R, Kamoun NT. Synthesis of Sm-Doped CuO–SnO2:FSprayed Thin Film: An Eco-Friendly Dual-Function Solution for the Buffer Layer and an Effective Photocatalyst for Ampicillin Degradation. Technologies. 2025; 13(5):197. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13050197

Chicago/Turabian Style

Charrada, Ghofrane, Bechir Yahmadi, Badriyah Alhalaili, Moez Hajji, Sarra Gam Derouich, Ruxandra Vidu, and Najoua Turki Kamoun. 2025. "Synthesis of Sm-Doped CuO–SnO2:FSprayed Thin Film: An Eco-Friendly Dual-Function Solution for the Buffer Layer and an Effective Photocatalyst for Ampicillin Degradation" Technologies 13, no. 5: 197. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13050197

APA Style

Charrada, G., Yahmadi, B., Alhalaili, B., Hajji, M., Derouich, S. G., Vidu, R., & Kamoun, N. T. (2025). Synthesis of Sm-Doped CuO–SnO2:FSprayed Thin Film: An Eco-Friendly Dual-Function Solution for the Buffer Layer and an Effective Photocatalyst for Ampicillin Degradation. Technologies, 13(5), 197. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies13050197

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