Unveiling the luminescent brilliance of europium-sourced cerium oxide: a comprehensive exploration for biomedical advancements through in vitro and in vivo studies

The present investigation focuses on the synthesis and characterization of Ce1−xEuxO2 (X = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08) materials. The Eu-doped CeO2 compounds were prepared using the chemical precipitation method. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the phase-pure Cubic structured CeO2 crystal system. Structural examination of the synthesized materials was conducted through the Rietveld refinement approach. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) along with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was employed to evaluate surface morphology and elemental composition (EDAX) of the materials. FTIR spectroscopy revealed the presence of vibrational linkages associated with distinct functional groups. The energy gap of the synthetic materials was investigated using UV–Vis spectroscopy. Photoluminescence (PL) analysis demonstrated the luminescence activity of the manufactured materials, which emitted light-green fluorescence at approximately 516 nm upon excitation at a wavelength of 380 nm. Moreover, the electron density distribution in the fabricated materials was successfully determined. The highest covalent nature of the Ce–O bond and single unit cells were observed in the 4% Eu-substituted CeO2. Antibacterial activity of the synthetic materials was tested against Aeromonas hydrophila and Streptococcus pyogenes. Additionally, a hemolysis inquiry was conducted to assess the breakdown of human red blood cells. Based on all experimental findings, it was observed that the CeO2 host lattice showed optimal characteristics at 4% Eu dopant concentration. This work offers a promising avenue for the development of effective materials for various biological applications.