Hybrid TiO2-Ag2O nanocomposites as efficient photocatalysts for the removal of medicinal pollutants in water under sunlight and study on their anticancer properties

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds 2024-04, Vol.982, p.173777, Article 173777
• Main Authors: Nagendraraj, T., Noelson, E. Abel, Soundarya, D. Shiva, Mani, I., Ragavendran, V., Mayandi, J., Pandi, M., Annaraj, J., Sagadevan, Suresh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anticancer properties; Hybrid TiO2-Ag2O nanocomposites; Photocatalysts; TiO2 P25
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2024.173777

The use of pharmaceuticals and their waste contributes to environmental issues but is not the sole factor. It is crucial to acknowledge the multifaceted nature of environmental challenges and address them through comprehensive solutions, rather than single-issue approaches. Thus, we successfully synthesized non-metallic organic compounds (urea (N), sulfuric acid (S), and thiourea (NS) doped on TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and developed them as nanocomposites (NCs) by calcination. The NCs were further decorated with Ag2O NPs. The NCs were characterized using various analytical techniques including XRD, SEM, and TEM. These different Ag2O-loaded N, S and NS-doped TiO2 NCs have shown a broad absorbance in the visible region, which differs from the standard of TiO2 P25. These photocatalysts were employed to study the degradation of the commonly used antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP), under sunlight. The observed results indicated that the Ag, Ag2O, and Ag2S decorated TiO2 NPs as Ag2O-TiO2 could efficiently degrade the drug compared to undoped TiO2 NPs. Furthermore, non-metal (N, S, and NS)-doped TiO2 showed a moderate degradation efficiency (∼ 50% degradation in more than 90 min). An efficient photocatalytic degradation of CIP (∼ 80%) was achieved within 30 min (N, S & NS doped TiO2) decorated with Ag2O under sunlight. These NCs developed a p-n heterojunction because of the activity-induced photogeneration of electron-hole pairs. In addition, their possible anti-proliferative effects have also been evaluated against human HeLa and HEK 293 cell lines because of their exceptional degradation efficiency. The observed results revealed that the Ag2O@N-TiO2 and Ag2O@NS-TiO2 were found to be more potent than Ag2O@TiO2 and Ag2O@S-TiO2 NCs. [Display omitted] •Ag2O incorporated on N, S, and NS doped TiO2 NCs using a simple chemical method.•Effective photocatalytic agent for efficient drug degradation from water sources.•Urea, thiourea, and sulphuric acid are used as a source for N and S doping.•The photocatalytic degradation against CIP has been evaluated.•Anti-proliferative effects have been evaluated against human HeLa and HEK 293 cell lines.