Facile Synthesis of CeO2/CoWO4 Hybrid Nanocomposites for High Photocatalytic Performance and Investigation of Antimicrobial Activity

Abstract

In this work, novel CeO 2 /CoWO 4 heterostructured nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized via a hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy were carried out to determine the crystal structure, deep morphology, optical properties, and charge separation of the obtained photocatalysts (PCs), respectively. In comparison to the pristine CoWO 4 , the CeO 2 and CeO 2 /CoWO 4 PCs demonstrated enhanced activity of methylene blue (MB) aqueous dye photodegradation under visible-light exposure. The photodegradation efficiency of the as-prepared CeO 2 /CoWO 4 photocatalyst showed the premier decomposition ratio (92.5%) of MB dye in 105 min among all samples, which was notably 1.8-fold and 2.2-fold that of the pristine CeO 2 (43%) and CoWO 4 (60%), respectively. Likewise, the CeO 2 / CoWO 4 PCs retained satisfactory photo-reactivity even after five sequential recycling runs, indicating their excellent photocatalytic stability and robustness. Hence the succeeding superior PCs preferred further efficient charge (e À -h + ) separation, excellent visible-light absorption, and worthy interfacial energy transfer leads between CoWO 4 and CeO 2 nanoparticles. Additionally, a plausible mechanism for the photodegradation was proposed. The synergistic antibacterial properties of the CeO 2 /CoWO 4 NCs were investigated by a gel diffusion method. Therefore, this work offers a novel avenue for the preparation of stable and efficient visible-light-driven PCs for environmental remediation.

Synthesis and Characterizations of Fe-Doped NiO Nanoparticles and Their Potential Photocatalytic Dye Degradation Activities

“…These hot electrons were crucial in improving the catalytic activity of the nanoparticles, outpacing other metal-decorating techniques. The results of this investigation showed that, when added to the NiO surface, Fe-doped NiO nanoparticles produced catalytic activity that was more efficient overall than metal decorations and noble metal decorations [75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82]. The results demonstrate the enhanced photocatalytic capabilities of Fe-doped NiO nanoparticles for the degradation of Rh-B dye in visible light.…”

“…Metals were strategically added to metal-oxide nanoparticles in order to efficiently overcome the limitations of the photocatalytic activity of the metal-oxide nanoparticles. Metal doping or the decorating of metal-oxide nanoparticles resulted in a decrease in the bandgap energy and particle size, improving the nanoparticles' ability to absorb light in the visible spectrum [75][76][77][78]. The effectiveness of the targeted dye molecules' breakdown was subsequently improved by this change.…”

Fabrication of Direct Z-Scheme CoNiWO4/Ph-gC3N4 Heterocomposites: Enhanced Photodegradation of Bisphenol A and Anticancer Activity

“…Due to better awareness of environmental challenges among governments, businesses, and scholars, investigations on green synthesis and environmental remediation have expanded significantly . Semiconductor-based photocatalytic technologies are considered some of the most promising approaches for addressing environmental degradation and the energy crisis due to their capacity to efficiently gather renewable solar energy. , However, the bulk of semiconductor photocatalysts identified so far function moderately in the visible range. , The photocatalytic activity of such materials is improved in this context by optimizing metal grafting/doping , and connecting one semiconductor material with other materials to generate heterojunction . It has been shown that creating a heterojunction between two semiconductors is a successful method for forming improved photocatalysts .…”

“… 2 , 3 However, the bulk of semiconductor photocatalysts identified so far function moderately in the visible range. 4 , 5 The photocatalytic activity of such materials is improved in this context by optimizing metal grafting/doping 6 , 7 and connecting one semiconductor material with other materials to generate heterojunction. 8 It has been shown that creating a heterojunction between two semiconductors is a successful method for forming improved photocatalysts.…”