Abstract
•CaFe2O4-ZnO nanocomposite was constructed by chemical co-precipitation method.•Photocatalysis rate of NCs was 13.5 and 9 folds higher than pristine CaFe2O4 and ZnO.•Photoluminescence study revealed the reduced recombination rate of e−/h+ pairs.•The OH· radical is the dominant species in dye degradation.•The nanohybrid exhibited excellent antibacterial activity.
Environmental pollution demands the fabrication of suitable nano-photocatalyst that works under white-light irradiation. The effective interfacial engineering is required for better separation of charges.
Here, the novel magnetic CaFe2O4-ZnO nanophotocatalyst was synthesized by adopting a sonochemical method. The CaFe2O4-ZnO was analyzed using HRTEM, XRD, FTIR, BET, UV-visible DRS, BET, EIS, and photoluminescence analysis. The photocatalytic performance of CaFe2O4-ZnO is evaluated by decolourization of Rhodamine B (RhB). Further, the particles’ multifunctionality was evaluated by testing its antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli under dark and light.
Here, 97.5% of RhB (25 mg/L) was degraded by CaFe2O4-ZnO (60 mg/L) under visible light. The kinetic rate of photocatalysis by CaFe2O4-ZnO was 0.027 min−1 which was 13.5 and 9 folds higher relative to pristine CaFe2O4 and ZnO. At pH 9, the RhB displayed higher photodegradation. Trapping experiments indicate ·OH radical severe a key role in RhB degradation. The formation of p-n interface boosted better charge separation and improved ROS generation. At 50 mg/L CaFe2O4-ZnO, the antibacterial performance under light was 98% against B. subtilis and 99.9% against E. coli. The present study reports CaFe2O4-ZnO nanophotocatalyst for the effective environmental remediation through photocatalysis and as an antibacterial agent.
Photocatalytic mechanism of CaFe2O4-ZnO nanocomposite. [Display omitted]