Synergistic effects of activated Carbon-Supported TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites for photocatalytic dye degradation and antibacterial activity

IF 5.3 2区化学 Q2 CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL

Journal of Molecular Liquids Pub Date : 2025-05-14 DOI:10.1016/j.molliq.2025.127792

Ranjith Rajendran , Orawan Rojviroon , Priyadharsan Arumugam , Govarthini Ramasamy , Shanmugam Paramasivam , Thammasak Rojviroon

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This research investigates the fabrication of activated carbon (AC) enhanced TiO₂/ZnO nanocomposites using hydrothermal synthesis, focusing on their photocatalytic capabilities for degrading Indigo Carmine (IC) dye under visible light. Various characterization techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM), and Ultraviolet Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV–DRS) , were employed to analyze the structural, chemical, morphological, and optical features of the nanocomposites. XRD results confirmed the presence of distinct crystalline phases of TiO₂ and ZnO within the AC matrix, while SEM and TEM provided valuable information on surface morphology and particle size distribution, both are essential for understanding photocatalytic behaviour. The optical properties, including bandgap energy, were assessed, indicating that these nanocomposites are well-suited for visible-light-driven photocatalysis. The photocatalytic performance of the AC/TiO₂/ZnO nanocomposites was systematically evaluated through degradation tests of IC dye, revealing significant efficacy. To elucidate the roles of various reactive species in the photocatalytic mechanism, radical trapping experiments were performed, targeting superoxide anions (O₂⁻), hydroxyl radicals (OH), and photogenerated holes (h⁺). The findings suggested that superoxide radicals play a crucial role in the degradation process. Additionally, the reusability of the nanocomposites was investigated over five successive degradation cycles, demonstrating sustained photocatalytic performance and structural stability. This study also evaluated the antibacterial activity of synthesized AC/TiO₂/ZnO nanocomposites against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococus aureus (S. aureus) using the well diffusion method. The results demonstrate dose-dependent inhibition, with S. aureus exhibiting greater susceptibility than E. coli.

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活性炭负载TiO2/ZnO纳米复合材料对光催化染料降解和抗菌活性的协同作用

本研究采用水热法制备了活性炭（AC）增强TiO2/ZnO纳米复合材料，重点研究了其在可见光下降解靛蓝胭脂红（IC）染料的光催化性能。利用x射线衍射（XRD）、x射线光电子能谱（XPS）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、高分辨率透射电子显微镜（HR-TEM）和紫外漫反射光谱（UV-DRS）等表征技术分析了纳米复合材料的结构、化学、形态和光学特征。XRD结果证实了TiO2和ZnO在AC基体中存在不同的晶相，而SEM和TEM提供了有价值的表面形貌和粒径分布信息，这对理解光催化行为至关重要。光学性质，包括带隙能量，被评估，表明这些纳米复合材料非常适合于可见光驱动的光催化。通过对IC染料的降解试验，系统评价了AC/TiO2/ZnO纳米复合材料的光催化性能。为了阐明各种活性物质在光催化机制中的作用，我们针对超氧阴离子（O2−）、羟基自由基（OH）和光生空穴（h+）进行了自由基捕获实验。结果表明，超氧自由基在降解过程中起着至关重要的作用。此外，研究了纳米复合材料在五个连续降解循环中的可重用性，证明了持续的光催化性能和结构稳定性。本研究还利用孔扩散法评价了合成的AC/TiO2/ZnO纳米复合材料对大肠杆菌（E. coli）和金黄色葡萄球菌（S. aureus）的抑菌活性。结果显示剂量依赖性抑制，金黄色葡萄球菌表现出比大肠杆菌更大的敏感性。

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来源期刊

Journal of Molecular Liquids 化学-物理：原子、分子和化学物理

CiteScore

10.30

自引率

16.70%

发文量

2597

审稿时长

78 days

期刊介绍： The journal includes papers in the following areas: – Simple organic liquids and mixtures – Ionic liquids – Surfactant solutions (including micelles and vesicles) and liquid interfaces – Colloidal solutions and nanoparticles – Thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystals – Ferrofluids – Water, aqueous solutions and other hydrogen-bonded liquids – Lubricants, polymer solutions and melts – Molten metals and salts – Phase transitions and critical phenomena in liquids and confined fluids – Self assembly in complex liquids.– Biomolecules in solution The emphasis is on the molecular (or microscopic) understanding of particular liquids or liquid systems, especially concerning structure, dynamics and intermolecular forces. The experimental techniques used may include: – Conventional spectroscopy (mid-IR and far-IR, Raman, NMR, etc.) – Non-linear optics and time resolved spectroscopy (psec, fsec, asec, ISRS, etc.) – Light scattering (Rayleigh, Brillouin, PCS, etc.) – Dielectric relaxation – X-ray and neutron scattering and diffraction. Experimental studies, computer simulations (MD or MC) and analytical theory will be considered for publication; papers just reporting experimental results that do not contribute to the understanding of the fundamentals of molecular and ionic liquids will not be accepted. Only papers of a non-routine nature and advancing the field will be considered for publication.