Abstract
In this work, ZnO–CdS composite powders synthesized by a simple chemical precipitation method were thoroughly characterized. The morphological, structural, compositional, photocatalytical, and biological properties of the prepared composites were investigated in comparison with those of the pristine components and correlated with the CdS concentration. ZnO–CdS composites contain flower-like structures, their size being tuned by the CdS amount added during the chemical synthesis. The photocatalytic activity of the composites was analyzed under UV irradiation using powders impregnated with methylene blue; the tests confirming that the presence of CdS along the ZnO in composites can improve the dye discoloration. The biological properties such as antioxidant capacity, antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity of the ZnO, CdS, and ZnO–CdS composites were evaluated. Thus, the obtained composites presented medium antioxidant effect, biocidal activity against Escherichia coli, and no toxicity (at concentrations less than 0.05 mg/mL for composites with a low CdS amount) for human fibroblast cells. Based on these results, such composites can be used as photocatalytic and/or biocidal additives for photoactive coatings, paints, or epoxy floors, which in their turn can provide a cleaner and healthier environment.
Highlights
In the last years, inorganic nanostructures such as TiO2 [1,2], ZnO [3,4], CdS [5,6,7], Ag2 S [8], or CdSe [9,10] have been extensively studied for their applications in the people’s daily life
For enhancing the ZnO photocatalytic efficiency in the visible range of solar energy, this semiconductor is required to be combined with a photosensitizer [29], in order to obtain a fast separation of the charge carriers and to decrease their recombination rate [30]
The present work is focused on the photocatalytic activity and biological properties such as antioxidant capacity, antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity of the ZnO, CdS, and ZnO–CdS
Summary
Inorganic nanostructures such as TiO2 [1,2], ZnO [3,4], CdS [5,6,7], Ag2 S [8], or CdSe [9,10] have been extensively studied for their applications in the people’s daily life. Till only few studies were focused on the photocatalytic and biological properties of composites based on ZnO–CdS [46,47], ZnO–CdS–Ag [48], Cd:Ag:ZnO [49], and ZnO/Cd (OH)Cl [50] The results of these works show the huge potential of such composites in different application areas, ranging from wastewater treatment to antimicrobials. To our knowledge, up to now there is no report on the effect of ZnO–CdS composites on human fibroblast cells and on the antioxidant activity of these composites In this context, the present work is focused on the photocatalytic activity and biological properties such as antioxidant capacity, antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity of the ZnO, CdS, and ZnO–CdS composite powders synthesized by a simple chemical precipitation method. The information provided by this work offers an interesting insight on the potential applications of ZnO–CdS composites as photocatalytic and/or biocidal additives for photoactive coatings, paints, epoxy floors, etc
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