Aloe vera mediated calcium and bismuth oxide-based nanocomposites for gamma radiation shielding applications

Abstract

The green synthesis approach underscores the potential for sustainable and environmentally friendly methods in the development of advanced materials. In this study, we explore the synthesis and characterization of a series of ternary nanocomposites (NCs) such as CaO/Bi2O3/CuO (CBCO), CaO/Bi2O3/NiO (CBNO) and CaO/Bi2O3/B2O3 (CBBO) using an innovative Aloe vera-mediated solution combustion method. The Bragg reflections confirms the formation of NCs. The hkl planes matches well with the hexagonal CaO, monoclinic Bi2O3 and CuO, cubic NiO and tetragonal B2O3. The crystallite size calculated from Scherrer’s method for CBCO, CBNO and CBBO were found to be 44, 18 and 37 nm respectively. The surface morphology of CBCO NCs consists agglomerated flaky shaped NPs along with hollows. Irregular, triangular and hexagonal morphology were observed in CBNO NCs. The transparent plate-like structure arranged one above the other along with large hollow are observed in CBBO NCs. 3.07, 3.05, and 2.84 eV for CBCO, CBNO, and CBBO NCs respectively. Key shielding parameters, including mass attenuation coefficients (μ/ρ), half-value layer (HVL), tenth-value layer (TVL), mean free path (λ), radiation protection efficiency (RPE), and energy buildup factor (EBF), were measured for CBCO, CBNO, and CBBO NCs. The results revealed that the CBCO NCs possess improved radiation shielding capabilities, suggesting their potential as effective materials for radiation protection applications.