Abstract
Photocatalytic activity of nanocube structured Bi2O3 was enhanced by loading FeV2O4. XRD results reflected the crystalline nature of nanocomposites (NCs) consisting of FeV2O4 and Bi2O3. XPS confirmed the chemical states. FTIR peaks revealed that the M-O bonds had tetrahedral/octahedral structure. The FeV2O4-Bi2O3 NCs have higher surface area in comparison with its constituent nanoparticles (NPs) which was confirmed using BET analysis. UV-Vis-DRS indicated the band gap shift of NCs to 2.59 eV which enhanced the visible-light sensitization. Optical and magnetic studies were carried out with photoluminescence and VSM analysis. The photocatalytic performance of the NCs was 4.6–7 times higher than that of its individual components. The ·OH is the key species involved in dye-degradation. High mineralization of the contaminants is supported by TOC analysis of degraded product. A stable photocatalytic performance of FeV2O4-Bi2O3 was observed after six cycles. The growth inhibitory action of NCs against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis confirmed its outstanding antimicrobial activity. The enhanced sunlight harvesting property and magnetic-removable nature have made FeV2O4-Bi2O3 NCs as a noteworthy material to be applied in aqueous bodies to degrade threatening pollutants through photodegradation and as antimicrobial agent.
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