Issue 36, 2021

Photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of Tl–Hg–I nanocomposites: sonochemical synthesis and characterization

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.

Graphical abstract: Photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of Tl–Hg–I nanocomposites: sonochemical synthesis and characterization

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
10 mai 2021
Accepted
16 jun 2021
First published
23 jun 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2021,11, 22238-22249

Photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of Tl–Hg–I nanocomposites: sonochemical synthesis and characterization

E. Abkar, M. Hassanpour, O. Amiri, M. Ghanbari and M. Salavati-Niasari, RSC Adv., 2021, 11, 22238 DOI: 10.1039/D1RA03666A

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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