Boosting solar-driven photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants and bacterial deactivation using marigold- like Cu2O decorated g-C3N4 nanocomposite
Madona J. Sridevi C. Velraj G. Wu J. Torsykbayeva B. Aimbetova E. Hosseini-Bandegharaei A.
1 June 2024Elsevier B.V.
Journal of Molecular Liquids
2024#403
Keeping the high efficiency in designing photocatalysts in view, the present work was aimed at the development of a heterojunction photocatalyst with boosted efficiencies, both for degradation of organic contaminants and bacterial deactivation. Heterojunction nanocomposites of g-C3N4 (GCN) and Cu2O (Cu2O /GCN-5 %, Cu2O /GCN-15 %, Cu2O/GCN-25 %, and Cu2O /GCN-50 %) were prepared by hydrothermal method and their photocatalytic performance was evaluated. XPS result confirms the surface chemical composition of nanocomposite and consistent with EDX analysis. The BET studies of Cu2O/GCN −25 % nanocomposite reveals the larger specific surface area (128.10 m2/g), compared to intact Cu2O, which facilitates more active sites on the surface. The optical bandgap energy (2.39 eV-2.58 eV) is tuned towards the visible region by loading g-C3N4 in marigold-like Cu2O. The efficient charge transfer betwixt marigold-like Cu2O and g-C3N4 was demonstrated in PL, CV, and EIS analysis. The Cu2O/GCN-25 % nanocomposite exhibits superior photocatalytic activity towards Aniline blue dye (86.4 %) and β-lactam antibiotic amoxicillin (79 %) under 100 min of sunlight irradiation. HPLC analysis further confirmed the degradation and disintegration of Amoxicillin. The probable photocatalytic mechanism was proposed and tested through a radical scavenger experiment. It was found that ●OH radicals significantly take part in the photodegradation. In addition, the bactericidal activities of Cu2O/GCN-25 % nanocomposite was determined. The highest bactericidal activity was observed for Bacillus subtilis (26 mm). Hence, the marigold-like Cu2O/GCN-25 % nanocomposite is a feasible material for the degradation of dyeing and pharmaceutical industrial effluents as well as bacterial growth inhibition.
Amoxicillin , Antibacterial activity , Marigold-like Cu2O , Photocatalyst , Sunlight
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Department of Physics, Sri Sarada College for Women (Autonomous), Tamil Nadu, Salem, India
Department of Physics, CEG Campus, Anna University, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, 600 025, India
College of Energy and Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai, 200090, China
Department of Pharmaceutical Disciplines, Astana Medical University, Astana, Kazakhstan
School of Earth Sciences, D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University, Ust-kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan
Faculty of Chemistry, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
Department of Sustainable Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, 602105, India
Centre of Research Impact and Outcome, Chitkara University, Punjab, Rajpura, 140401, India
Department of Physics
Department of Physics
College of Energy and Mechanical Engineering
Department of Pharmaceutical Disciplines
School of Earth Sciences
Faculty of Chemistry
Department of Sustainable Engineering
Centre of Research Impact and Outcome
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