Abstract
Nitrogen-doped carbon nanodots (N@CDs) were prepared by hydrothermal processing of bovine serum albumin (Mw: 69,324 with 607 amino acids). A polyaniline (PANI-N@CDs) nanocomposite was then synthesized by ultrasonication and used to degrade Congo red (CR), methylene blue (MB), Rhodamine B (RhB), and crystal violet (CV) four common organic dyes. The PANI-N@CD nanocomposite simultaneously adsorbed and concentrated the dye from the bulk solution and degraded the adsorbed dye, resulting in a high rate of dye degradation. The combination of holes (h+), hydroxyl (OH•), and O2•− was involved in the N@CD-mediated photocatalytic degradation of the dyes. Under visible light illumination at neutral pH, the PANI-N@CDs were proven as an efficient adsorbent and photocatalyst for the complete degradation of CR within 20 min. MB and RhB were also degraded but required longer treatment times. These findings supported the design of remediation processes for such dyes and predicted their fate in the environment. The nanocomposite also exhibited antimicrobial activities against Gram-negative bacterium E. coli and Gram-positive bacterium S. aureus.
Highlights
Published: 27 April 2021Organic dyes are mostly used for coloring cotton, silk, and fibers, and their discharge in wastewater is a critical issue in environmental remediation due to their universal use in many industries
The fluorescence emission spectra were analyzed for the polymer nanocomposite to observe if there were any spectral changes after the formation of PANI-N@CDs (Figure 4b)
The PANI-N@CD nanocomposite was investigated for its antimicrobial activity against the two common pathogens E. coli and S. aureus, whereas PANI and CDs served as two controls for comparison
Summary
Organic dyes are mostly used for coloring cotton, silk, and fibers, and their discharge in wastewater is a critical issue in environmental remediation due to their universal use in many industries. The discharge of such polluted effluents becomes a serious environmental issue concerning their long-term and acute effects on the ecosystem [5,6,7] Conductive polymers and their composites have received great attention for the development of nanocomposites due to their mechanical and optical properties. To address this issue, one of the goals of the polymer nanocomposite preparation has been to degrade the organic dye from wastewater via visible light irradiation. CDs have several attractive properties, such as photoluminescence, high mechanical strength, narrow band-gap, and optical transparency, in addition to being biodegradable, biocompatible, and nontoxic [19,20] They have great potential in physical and biomedical applications. The PANI-N@CD composite is tested as an antimicrobial agent against E. coli and S. aureus
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