Green Synthesis of Silver Magnetite Nanocomposite Decorated Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Application

Abstract

Nanotechnology is an advanced technology for environmental applications, including water treatment, detection of persistent pollutants, and antibacterial agent, are amongst many others. The reduction of dye compounds from industrial wastewater has been achieved using chemical, physical, and biological methods. However, these approaches are time-consuming, costly, and pose disposal problems. But complete mineralization with mild operating temperature and pressure can be achieved by Photocatalytic degradation by using a nanosized catalyst. The development of greenly synthesized Photocatalytic materials with antibacterial properties is highly desirable in wastewater treatment. In this study silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs), silver magnetite nanocomposite (Ag-Fe3O4 NC) were synthesized using an aqueous extract of Cymbopogon citratus leaves as a reducing agent and the synthesized Ag-Fe3O4 NC were decorated graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) which was prepared by calcinations of urea. The synthesized nanomaterials were analyzed by Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). In X-ray diffraction analysis of each synthesized materials show their representative peaks matched with their Joint Committee on Powder Diffraction Standards (JCPDS) card. The photocatalytic activities of Ag NPs, Ag-Fe3O4 NC and Ag Fe3O4/g-C3N4 NC were evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue dye under visible light irradiation; the results indicated 86.31%, 89%, and 99.84% degradation efficiency of MB respectively by using pH10, 20 mg of catalyst, 20 ppm concentration of dye and 60 minute UV light irradiation. Furthermore, parameters such as the effect of pH of the dye solution, catalyst dose, dye concentration, and recyclability of Ag-Fe3O4/g-C3N4 NC was also studied. The antibacterial activity of synthesized nanomaterials was evaluated against Gram-negative and Gram-positive. Ag-Fe3O4/g-C3N4 NC demonstrated high-antibacterial activity, showed 20, 16mm for E. coli and P. Aeruginosa respectively, and 15 mm for S. Aureus and S. Pyogene.