Combinatorial Photoactivity Enhancement of Ternary Nanohybrids: Ag Cocatalyst-Dispersed Monoclinic Bi₂O₃/g-C₃N₄ through the Synergistic Action of Induced Oxygen Defect and Porosity for Abatement of Fluoroquinolones and Boosted Antimicrobial Activity

Abstract

The synergistic regulation of the generated surface oxygen vacancies and induced porosity leading to an alteration in morphology, and subsequently their overall impact on changing the dynamics of charge transfer, has not received much attention yet. Herein, strategically introduced surface defects and ultraporosity in the fabricated nanohybrids result in a multifold enhancement in their photoactivity (8-to 10-fold more than the respective precursors) to combat the bioresistance of fluoroquinolones. Additionally, the process shows that the addition of silver enhances the light-harvesting capacity due to the localized surface plasmonic resonance effect. The formulated nanohybrid 15 wt % ABOG has high photodegradation efficiencies of 93.65, 92.52, and 90.55% for the photodegradation of environmentally persistent antibiotics tetracycline, norfloxacin, and isoniazid, respectively, at a time interval of 75 min. In addition, the generated heterojunctions' antimicrobial activity against DH5-α has been surveyed and exhibits promising outcomes. Through measures of surface wettability, the hydrophilic nature has also been validated. The work illustrates how synergistic regulation converts a typical Type-II charge transfer scheme into a more advanced S scheme. Studies on the reusability of synthesized nanocomposites further reveal their potential in multimodal applications.