The increasing number of bacteria-related problems and presence of trace amounts of phosphate in treated wastewater effluents have become a growing concern in environmental research. The use of antibacterial agents and phosphate adsorbents for the treatment of wastewater effluents is of great importance. In this study, the potential applications of a synthesized polyaniline (PANI)-zirconium dioxide (ZrO) composite as an antibacterial, phosphate adsorbent and anti-corrosion material were systematically investigated. The results of an antibacterial test reveal an effective area of inhibition of 14 and 18 mm for the Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strains, respectively. The antibacterial efficiency of the PANI-ZrO composite is twice that of commercial ZrO. In particular, the introduction of PANI increased the specific surface area and roughness of the composite material, which was beneficial to increase the contact area with bacterial and phosphate. The experimental results demonstrated that phosphate adsorption studies using 200 mg P/L phosphate solution showed a significant phosphate removal efficiency of 64.4%, and the maximum adsorption capacity of phosphate on the solid surface of PANI-ZrO is 32.4 mg P/g. Furthermore, PANI-ZrO coated on iron substrate was tested for anti-corrosion studies by a natural salt spray test (7.5% NaCl), which resulted in the formation of no rust. To the best of our knowledge, no works have been reported on the synergistic effects of the PANI-ZrO composite as an antibacterial, anti-corrosion, and phosphate adsorbent material. PANI-ZrO composite is expected to be a promising comprehensive treatment method for water filters in the aquaculture industry and for use in water purification applications.

Presently, most of the population has been facing a string of severe climate change problems that primarily come from the intensive emission of nitric oxide (NO), which requires a practical approach to sustain our living conditions. Herein, Ag nanoparticles-decorated ZnSn(OH)6 microcubes (Ag:cZHS) photocatalysts were synthesized rapidly and used for photocatalytic NO removal under solar light activation. The properties of the newly prepared photocatalysts are comprehensively characterized by a series of routine methods. The NO removal performance over the ZnSn(OH)6 microcubes (c:ZHS) photocatalysts was increased markedly upon being combined with Ag nanoparticles through the surface plasmon resonance effect. The contribution of e−, h+, •OH, and •O2 was extensively investigated through trapping tests and electron spin resonance analysis (ESR). Also, the by-products and apparent quantum efficiency of the cZHS photocatalysts were studied.

The new catalyst (La/Bi2S3) applies for the photodegradation of Acid Yellow 42 (AY42) dye under visible light in this study. The La/Bi2S3 material is the motivating catalyst due to the excellent ability of Lanthanum (La) to increase the adsorption capacity and electron-hole separation of Bi2S3 for enhancing the degradation of AY42. The characterization analysis of the prepared material confirms a successful synthesis using the hydrothermal method. The efficiency of photodegradation AY42 using La/Bi2S3 is higher than pure Bi2S3. La on Bi2S3 (doped at 3%), which is devised on adsorption (40.24%) and photodegradation (51.86%), has the best degradation efficiency (92.1%). The trapping experiment and the analysis of electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra explain that the hydroxyl radical is the most active species in this photocatalytic process due to the total degradation efficiency decreasing from 92.1% to 57.16% by the scavenger using isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The hole (h+) shows its importance in the photodegradation of AY42 by detecting that OH- is the intermediate species. The new material (La/Bi2S3) also shows excellent photostability in the reusability test. Finally, the result confirms that La is a suitable doping metal for Bi2S3 and is interesting for practical application under visible light. The new catalyst (La/Bi2S3) applies for the photodegradation of Acid Yellow 42 (AY42) dye under visible light in this study. The La/Bi2S3 material is the motivating catalyst due to the excellent ability of Lanthanum (La) to increase the adsorption capacity and electron-hole separation of Bi2S3 for enhancing the degradation of AY42. The characterization analysis of the prepared material confirms a successful synthesis using the hydrothermal method. The photodegradation efficiency of AY42 using La/Bi2S3is higher than pure Bi2S3. The doping of 3% weight of La on Bi2S3 shows the optimum degradation efficiency of 92.1%, devised on adsorption (40.24%) and photodegradation (51.86%). The pure Bi2S3 (46.7%) contains 17.1% of adsorption and 29.6% of photodegradation. The trapping experiment and the analysis of electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra explain that the hydroxyl radical is the most active species in this photocatalytic process due to the total degradation efficiency decreasing from 92.1% to 57.16% by the scavenger using isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The hole (h+) shows its importance in the photodegradation of AY42 by detecting that OH- is the intermediate species. The new material (La/Bi2S3) also shows excellent photostability in the reusability test. Finally, the result confirms that La is a suitable doping metal for Bi2S3 and is interesting for practical application under visible light.

Presently, most of the population has been facing a string of severe air pollution problems that include the intensive emission of nitric oxide (NO), which requires a practical approach to sustain our living conditions. Herein, Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs)-decorated ZnSn(OH)6 microcubes (Ag:cZHS) photocatalysts are synthesized and used for photocatalytic NO removal under solar light activation. The properties of the newly obtained photocatalysts are comprehensively characterized by a series of typical methods. The NO removal performance over the c:ZHS photocatalysts was increased markedly upon being combined with Ag NPs because of the surface plasmon resonance effect. The contribution of electron (e−), hole (h+), hydroxyl radical (•OH), and oxygen radicals (•O2) was investigated through trapping tests and electron spin resonance analysis. Also, the by-products and apparent quantum efficiency of the photocatalysts were thoroughly studied.

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