Work

Multifunctional metal oxides synthesized via a solvo-hydrothermal process for photocatalytic degradation of organic dye and bacteria in wastewater

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The persistent occurrence of textile industrial dyestuff in water bodies has continuously threatened aquatic life and public health, requiring effective remediation. This study explores the solvo-hydrothermal synthesis of Ag 2 O, Fe 2 O 3 , AgFe 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , Ag-TiO 2 , Fe-TiO 2 , and AgFe-TiO 2 catalysts. Various techniques, including SEM-EDS, FTIR, XRD, BET, TGA, and XPS characterized the as-prepared metal oxide (MO) catalysts. The multi-functionality of the catalysts was assessed on the degradation of Congo red dye and the inhibition of gram-positive B. subtilis in simulated wastewater. SEM analysis shows that MOs mostly appeared in granular morphologies except for Fe₂O₃, which comprised elongated grains, and showed that both Ag and Fe were successfully doped into the TiO₂ framework. The XRD survey revealed that Fe₂O₃ and TiO₂ were abundant in hematite and anatase phases. The BET findings indicated that the MOs are fine mesoporous particles, with TiO₂ showing the highest surface area of 83 m²/g, followed by 63, 28.27, and 24.03 m²/g for AgFe-TiO₂, AgFe₂O₃, and Ag-TiO₂, respectively. The antibacterial assays showed that Ag-TiO₂ and AgFe₂O₃ inhibited 58 % and 64 % of B. subtilis , correspondingly. The highest removals 98 and 99.99 % of Congo red (CR) dye were achieved with AgFe₂O₃ and TiO₂ after 5 h of irradiation time. At optimum conditions, AgFe₂O₃ and TiO₂ performed well and reached complete degradation up to 3 cycles. The outcomes of this study show that the multifunctional metal oxides produced via the solvo-hydrothermal method are thermally stable and can effectively be used for the simultaneous degradation of organic dye and disinfection of bacterial-polluted water.

Source: Chemical Physics Impact

DOI: 10.1016/j.chphi.2025.100856