Synthesis and Characterisation of Palladium Doped Ga2O3 Nanoparticles as a Potent Microbiome Growth Inhibitor of Healthcare Waste

Biomedical waste (BMW) presents a significant global challenge due to its potential adverse effects on human health and the environment and there are inadequate resources to address it. In this study, we synthesized Pd-doped Ga₂O₃ nanoParticles (NPs) using a sol-gel method and investigated their influence on BMW management; this is the first of its type. In addition, the synthesized NPs were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and UV-visible spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals that the Pd-Ga₂O₃ nanoparticles crystallize in a single-phase monoclinic structure, with an average crystallite size determined to be 15.11 nm.FTIR spectra reveal the molecules and bonding associated with the developed NPs and confirms Pd capping on the surface of Ga₂O₃ NPs. The SEM results revealed the formation of angular-shaped NPs with a minimum size of 10 nm. The UV-visible absorption spectra shows that the produced Pd-doped Ga₂O₃ composite has a band gap of 4.178 eV, which is less extensive than that of the earlier reported values. The importance and relevance of this work is on the photocatalytic activity of the developed Pd-Ga₂O₃ NPs which shows substantial antibacterial activity against hospital waste and considerably suppressed microbial growth. Overall, Pd-Ga₂O₃ NPs developed in this work can be utilized to control biomedical waste and there by decrease environmental pollution.