Ag2O@PANI nanocomposites for advanced functional applications: A sustainable experimental and theoretical approach

Abstract

Separately metal nanoparticles and conducting polymers have applications in fields like adsorption, composite electrode material, dielectrics, photocatalytic, purification, separation, sensing, energy storage, highly conducting materials, etc. But together as a nanocomposite (NCs) very few applications were reported. The silver nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by inverse micelle and conducting polymer, polyaniline (PANI) by the low-temperature chemical oxidative method. TEM, photoluminescence, X-ray diffraction, UV–visible, and FTIR techniques were used for the characterization of Ag2O NPs, PANI, and Ag2O@PANI NCs. The computational (DFT) and ab-initio techniques were employed to verify the experimental results. The NCs were tested as an anticorrosive, photocatalytic and antibacterial agent. The maximum corrosion inhibition observed was 90.73% at 1000 ppm of NCs. The photocatalytic property of NCs was investigated against methyl-orange dye in UV light. The NCs degrades 92.53% of organic dye at 100 ppm concentration. The bactericidal activity of Ag2O@PANI NCs was tested against Gram +ve and Gram −ve bacteria and shows 18.2 mm and 20.2 mm zone of inhibition, respectively. The Ag2O@PANI NCs show significant anticorrosive, photocatalytic, and bactericidal properties and hence can be used as a broad-spectrum antibiotic, acid corrosion inhibitor, and for the purification of water by photodegradation of organic pollutants.