Multifunctional metal (Ag, Bi)-organic frameworks: a versatile platform for photocatalytic degradation, CO2 and N2 reduction, and enhanced antibacterial applications

Abstract

The facile synthesis of a bimetallic-organic framework is successfully established to portray an efficient catalyst in photocatalytic degradation and photoreduction of nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and with antibacterial properties. In the current study, a novel B-BTC (where B represents Ag and Bi) organic framework was successfully synthesized and opted for advanced characterizations. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photon spectroscopy illustrate the heterostructure formation, whereas X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, zeta sizer, and zeta potential were used to reveal the crystallinity, polydispersity, and average size of the nanomaterial. The material was characterized for photoluminescence analysis to understand the recombination rate and has been compared with the Bi-organic framework. B-BTC was further opted to determine the photocatalytic efficacy, through photocatalytic degradation of amoxicillin (AMX), photocatalytic reduction of N2 to ammonia (NH3), photoreduction of CO2, and antibacterial disinfection. The catalyst showcased ∼90% degradation of AMX under light-emitting diode light irradiation for 60 min. Successful photoreduction of N2 and CO2 showcases a fair generation of NH3 and value-added hydrocarbons, respectively. For each photocatalytic application, a mechanism has been knitted for understanding the overall reactions concerning the proposed reactions. Interestingly, the catalyst also showcased excellent antibacterial activity toward Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with a proposed mechanism.