Photocatalytic Removal of Metronidazole Antibiotics from Water Using Novel Ag-N-SnO2 Nanohybrid Material

Abstract

In this study, we employed a straightforward synthetic approach using the sol-gel method to fabricate a novel photocatalyst, Ag and N co-doped SnO2 (Ag-N-SnO2). The synthesized photocatalysts underwent characterization through various techniques including XRD, FTIR, FESEM-EDS, TEM, UV-vis DRS, BET, and XPS. The UV-vis DRS results confirmed a reduction in the bandgap energy of Ag-N-SnO2, leading to enhanced absorption of visible light. Additionally, TEM data demonstrated a smaller particle size for Ag-N-SnO2, and BET analysis revealed a significant increase in surface area compared to SnO2.The efficiency of the Ag-N-SnO2 photocatalyst in degrading metronidazole (MNZ) under natural sunlight surpassed that of SnO2. Under optimal conditions (Ag-N-SnO2 concentration of 0.4 g/L, MNZ concentration of 10 mg/L, pH 9, and 120 min of operation), the highest MNZ photocatalytic removal reached 97.03%. The reaction kinetics followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with a rate constant of 0.026 min−1. Investigation into the mineralization of MNZ indicated a substantial decrease in total organic carbon (TOC) values, reaching around 56% in 3 h of sunlight exposure. To elucidate the photocatalytic degradation mechanism of MNZ with Ag-N-SnO2, a scavenger test was employed which revealed the dominant role of •O2–. The results demonstrated the reusability of Ag-N-SnO2 for up to four cycles, highlighting its cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness as a photocatalyst.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)-Mediated Green Synthesis of Silver-Doped Tin Oxide Nanoparticles and Evaluation of Its Antimicrobial Activity

“…These bands indicate the formation of SnO 2 nanoparticles. , Similarly, the peak observed between 400 and 622.239 cm –1 is ascribed to the metal–oxygen (M–O) bond of Sn–O stretching vibrations. The absorption peaks observed at 622.239 cm –1 are assigned to the Ag–O–Sn bonding of the Ag-doped SnO 2 composite particles. , …”

“…54,55 FTIR spectra of undoped SnO 2 and Ag-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles were recorded in the range of 4000−400 cm −1 and presented in The absorption peaks observed at 622.239 cm −1 are assigned to the Ag−O−Sn bonding of the Ag-doped SnO 2 composite particles. 48,58 The crystal structure of green synthesized pure SnO 2 and Ag-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction pattern and shown in Figure 5. The 2θ values of the prepared samples were scanned in the range of 10°to 80°.…”

“…The absorption peaks observed at 622.239 cm –1 are assigned to the Ag–O–Sn bonding of the Ag-doped SnO 2 composite particles. 48 , 58 …”