Fabrication of MnO2 nanowires and their nanohybrid with flat conductive matrix for the treatment of industrial effluents

Abstract

In recent times, nanostructured semiconductive materials and nanohybrid with flat (2D) MXene sheets have gained considerable attention for photocatalytic applications. Here, we fabricated MnO2 nanowires (NWs, 1D) and their nanohybrid with MXene, as an innovative photocatalyst, to remove organic pollutants (organic dyes) and bacteria from industrial effluents. Indeed, MXene has excellent surface properties, owing to its flat structure. However, it's higher affinity to restack and oxidize is the problem that masks its other inherent features. We developed an innovative design to improve the stability of MXene and to reduce the resistivity and photocorrosion of semiconductive photocatalysts. The crystalline structure, morphology, specific surface area, thermal stability, and nanohybrid formation between MnO2 and MXene have been analyzed and confirmed via well-established conventional and advanced techniques. The prepared materials' photocatalytic and antimicrobial properties were evaluated under solar illumination using crystal violet (CV) dye and a Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus) bacterial strain, respectively. Compared to pure MnO2 and MXene/MnO2 nanohybrid photocatalysts, H2O2-supported MXene/MnO2 nanohybrid demonstrated significantly greater photocatalytic activity for CV dye elimination. After 50 min of continuous illumination, the MXene/MnO2@H2O2 photocatalyst demonstrated approximately 91.5% dye degradation at a rate constant (0.045 min−1) higher than MnO2 (0.025 min−1) and MXene/MnO2 (0.029 min−1). The current work demonstrates that the MXene/MnO2 nanohybrid photocatalyst is capable of photodegrading dyes efficiently and inhibiting the rapid growth of microbes found in industrial discharges.