Abstract
Efforts to find new and practical solutions to improve water quality and treatment of industrial effluents are ongoing. In this study, Tl4HgI6/HgI2 nanocomposites were synthesized by a rapid ultrasonic method to investigate their photocatalytic and antibacterial activity. Various synthesis conditions such as changes in the ratio of precursors, use of surfactants, and changes in the power and time of sonication to achieve particles with optimal size and morphology were performed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis confirmed the purity and formation of the nanocomposite. Optimal nanoparticles in terms of size and morphology were selected by examining the images obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The nanocomposites obtained in the presence of PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone) as a surfactant (sample no. 8) were selected as the optimal sample. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Raman, N2 adsorption/desorption analyzes were performed for the optimal sample to evaluate the properties of nanocomposites. The band-gap for Tl4HgI6/HgI2 nanocomposites was calculated to be about 2.3 eV for HgI2 and 3.1 eV for Tl4HgI6. The optimal sample was used to evaluate the photocatalytic activity for decolorizing an aqueous solution of six different organic dyes. Finally, for rhodamine B, the decolorization was about 80%. Also, Tl4HgI6/HgI2 nanocomposite showed a significant inhibition zone in the antibacterial test. The maximum inhibition diameter of 50 mm was obtained against Streptococcus pyogenes. The results showed that Tl4HgI6/HgI2 nanocomposites have good potential for many industrial applications.
Highlights
In recent years, the use of nanomaterials has been evident in all industries.[1]
Tl4HgI6/HgI2 nanocomposite was synthesized by the ultrasonic method
Various conditions were applied in the synthesis method, including the addition of surfactant, changing the ratio of precursors, and changing the conditions of the device to obtain nanocomposites with appropriate size and morphology
Summary
The use of nanomaterials has been evident in all industries.[1] This ranges from the textile industry to pharmacy and water puri cation, and so on.[2,3,4] Water as a source of life has always been a concern of researchers. Different methods for treating industrial effluents and drinking water have been proposed by researchers in recent years and are being developed. Due to the importance of water in human life, nanomaterials are actively involved in improving and helping water resources to nd new solutions in this direction.[5] Nanomaterials have fruitful water treatment applications, such as membrane and ltration processes, precipitation processes, and especially photocatalytic processes.[6,7,8]
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