Microwave-assisted photocatalysis of neurotoxin compounds using metal oxides quantum dots/nanosheets composites: Photocorrosion inhibition, reusability and antibacterial activity studies

Publication date: January 2018
Source:Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, Volume 178
Author(s): Ali Fakhri, Mona Azad, Leila Fatolahi, Shiva Tahami
Water pollution caused by different pollutants is one of the challenging tasks for the scientific community. We have prepared and characterized a material for removal of pollutant compounds. ZnO quantum dots decorated CuO nanosheets and TiO2 quantum dots decorated WO3 nanosheets composites have been prepared using a hydrothermal method. The as synthesized catalysts were characterized by various techniques. The crystallite sizes of CuO NSs and WO3 NSs were to be obtained 12.5 and 13.25nm and when dopped with ZnO and TiO2 size reduces to 3.2 and 3.9nm, respectively. The energy band gap of the CuO NSs, WO3 NSs, ZnO QDs/CuO NSs and TiO2 QDs/WO3 NSs composite are calculated to be 2.01, 2.61, 1.86 and 2.32eV, respectively. The prepared catalysts are efficiently utilized for the photocatalytic degradation of two neurotoxin compounds under UV and UV coupled with microwave irradiation. The prepared catalyst composites reveal excellent photocatalytic degradation of neurotoxin compound by degrading it up to 75% under UV and UV/microwave irradiation. The photocalysis efficiency in UV/microwave system is higher than UV system. The result shows that the ZnO QDs/CuO NSs and TiO2 QDs/WO3 NSs composites have excellent photocorrosion inhibition and reusability properties. Thus, prepared samples with positive surface potential upon interaction with negative surface potential of Enterococcus faecalis and Micrococcus luteus.