Investigation of Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Study of Mo doped ZnCo2O4/rGO Nanohybrid Under Visible Light

Abstract

The molybdenum doped mixed metal oxides such as zinc and cobalt (Mo/ZnCo₂O₄) were synthesized in a simple hydrothermal procedure that required no use of an expensive and toxic solvent but it exhibited the low photocatalytic efficiency. As-produced Mo/ZnCo₂O₄ were hybridized with reduced rGO to form Mo/ZnCo₂O₄/rGO nanoarray to remove above mentioned issues. Methylene blue (MB) was used in photocatalytic research because it is a common organic contaminant and create very detrimental effect on the living and environmental components. Degradation percentages for ZnCo₂O₄, Mo/ZnCo₂O₄, and Mo/ZnCo₂O₄/rGO nanocomposites were determined to be 41.17, 78.45 and 91.47%, respectively. As per the findings, the aqueous MB dye underwent oxidation primarily due to the presence of the superoxide (\({O}_{2}^{\bullet -}\)) radical. The nanocomposite photocatalysts exhibited photodegradation efficiency exceeding 91.47% and displayed remarkable stability, as evidenced by the absence of any noticeable decline in activity indicated by the repeatability test (five cycles). Furthermore, Mo/ZnCo₂O₄/rGO displays excellent antimicrobial activity toward the S.aureus and E.coli species. Our finding suggests that the Mo/ZnCo₂O₄/rGO nanostructure can act as a potential antimicrobial and photocatalytic agent.