Photocatalytic Reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) and Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue and Antifungal Activity of Ag/TiO2 Composites Synthesized via the Template Induced Route

Abstract

Water treatment through photocatalysts has become an important topic regarding environmental protection. In the present study, silver and TiO2 (Ag/TiO2) composites for photocatalysts were effectively synthesized by adopting the template induced method. The prepared samples were characterized using XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and EDX. The constructed samples’ particle size and shape were evaluated using a SEM, and the XRD patterns showed anatase crystalline phases. Their morphologies were controllable with changing concentration of reactants and calcination temperature. The synthesized composites act as catalyst in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) under solar irradiation. In both of these activities, the best result has been shown by the 0.01 Ag/TiO2 composite. Methanol is used as the hole scavenger in the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). While the pH factor is important in the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). According to observations, S. macrospora and S. maydis were each subject to 0.01 Ag/TiO2 nanocomposites maximum antifungal activity, which was 38.4 mm and 34.3 mm, respectively. The outcomes demonstrate that both photocatalytic and antifungal properties are effectively displayed by the constructed material.

Effect of Ruthenium Modification of g-C3N4 in the Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Reduction of Cr(VI)

“…Table S2 (in the Supplementary Materials) displays a comparison on Cr(VI) removal by different photocatalytic methods. According to these data, Cr(VI) removal performance by photocatalysis based on Ru/g-C 3 N 4 is comparable to those of other photocatalytic materials [18,20,21,25,[38][39][40][41][42]. This proves that Ru doping into g-C3N4 gives positive results regarding the efficiency of the photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction.…”

Nanocomposites for Photocatalysis

“…In addition to water treatment, the study evaluated the antifungal properties of these composites against two fungi, S. macrospora and S. maydis. The 0.01 Ag/TiO 2 nanocomposites exhibited the highest antifungal activity, with inhibition zones measuring 38.4 mm and 34.3 mm for S. macrospora and S. maydis, respectively [5].…”

“…The composites were effectively synthesized using a template-induced method and underwent thorough characterization using XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and EDX, confirming their composition and structural properties. The SEM analysis revealed that the particle size and shape of the composites could be controlled via adjusting the reactant concentrations and calcination temperatures, while the XRD patterns indicated the presence of anatase crystalline phases [5].…”