A magnetic nanocomposite
of tungsten and vanadium was employed
as a catalyst for the mitigation of water contaminants, including
a carcinogenic dye (Congo red, CR), a widely used pesticide (glyphosate),
and the bacterial strain
Escherichia coli
. Additionally, it was subjected to several characterization techniques.
X-ray diffraction spectroscopy examination validated the synthesized
nanoparticles’ crystalline nature, and scanning electron microscopy
and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis were employed to examine the
morphology and elemental composition of the catalyst. The use of thermogravimetric
analysis enabled the elaboration of the thermal behavior of tungsten
sulfide–vanadium decorated with Fe
2
O
3
nanoparticles. The experiments were conducted under visible light
conditions. The highest levels of photodegradation of 96.24 ±
2.5% for CR and 98 ± 1.8% for glyphosate were observed following
a 180 min exposure to visible light at pH values of 6 and 8, respectively.
The quantum yields for CR and Gly were calculated to be 9.2 ×
10
–3
and 4.9 × 10
–4
molecules
photon
–1
, respectively. The findings from the scavenger
analysis suggest the involvement of hydroxyl radicals in the degradation
mechanism. The study evaluated the inhibition of
E.
coli
growth when exposed to a concentration of 0.1
g/10 mL of the photocatalyst, utilizing a 1 mL sample of the bacterial
strain. The successful elimination of CR and glyphosate from water-based
solutions, along with the subsequent antibacterial experiments, has
substantiated the efficacy of the photocatalyst in the field of environmental
remediation.