Abstract
The objective of our study was to develop a new class of one-dimensional Sn-ZrO2 nanocrystal decorated CNFs. The utilized CNFs-Sn-ZrO2 composite was prepared by a sol-gel electrospinning method using polyacrylonitrile, ZrO(NO3)(3)center dot(H2O)-H-2 and SnCl2 center dot(H2O)-H-6 as precursors. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The bimetallic CNFs-Sn-ZrO2 composite possessed higher electrochemical capacitance and better stability than the monometallic and pristine samples as supercapacitor electrode materials. The CNFs-Sn-ZrO2 composite also exhibited admirable antibacterial activity. From the antimicrobial kinetic test results of E. coli; it was established that the composite (CNFs-Sn-ZrO2) possessed enhanced bactericidal activity compared to monometallic ones. The obtained high supercapacitanceand bactericidal potential can be attributed due to the synergistic effect of Sn and ZrO2 in the carbon nanofibrous matrix. These results suggest the applicability of the fabricated nanofibers as electrode materials for supercapacitors and as antibacterial agents for decontamination of water.