Abstract
The present study focused on the development of heterogeneous nano-catalyst system La6WO12/Ag2WO4 nanocomposite (LWO/AWO NCs) using facile sonochemical assisted co-precipitation method. The structural and morphological characteristics of LWO/AWO was studied by UV-visible diffusion reflectance spectro-scopy (UV-vis-DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and BET isotherm. The bandgap of LWO/AWO (2.98 eV) was tuned to induce visible light sensitization for the enhanced photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic analysis showed that LWO/AWO degraded 82.8% of methylene blue (MB) dye in 140 min, where as AWO and LWO showed only 60% and 19% of MB degradation respectively. Free radical scavenging assay showed that h(+) and (OH-)-O-center dot played major role in the photocatalytic activity of LWO/AWO. In addition, LWO/AWO showed good structural stability and reusability. The reusability efficiency of the LWO/AWO NCs was calculated to be 98%. The NCs also showed good antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The enhanced photocatalytic activity and antimicrobial activity of LWO/AWO NCs can be applied for the effective treatment of environmental water bodies. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V.