Facile Synthesis of Ag/ZnO Photocatalysts on the Degradation of Diuron Herbicide Under Simulated Solar Light and the Investigation of Its Antibacterial Activity for Waste-Water Treatment

• Published in: Journal of inorganic and organometallic polymers and materials 2019-05, Vol.29 (3), p.710-720
• Main Authors: Saidani, Mohamed Ali, Fkiri, Anis, Smiri, Leila-Samia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacteria; Catalytic activity; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Degradation; Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy; Diuron; E coli; Electron transfer; Emission analysis; Gram-positive bacteria; Heat treatment; Inductively coupled plasma; Inorganic Chemistry; Nanoparticles; Optical emission spectroscopy; Optical properties; Organic Chemistry; Photocatalysis; Photocatalysts; Photovoltaic cells; Polymer Sciences; Salmonella; Silver; Spectrum analysis; Synthesis; Transmission electron microscopy; Wastewater treatment; Water treatment; X-ray diffraction; Zinc oxide
• ISSN: 1574-1443; 1574-1451
• DOI: 10.1007/s10904-018-1044-z

Nanocrystalline Ag/ZnO powders have been successfully prepared by a modified polyol process using triethylene-glycol (TEG) as solvent, reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesis procedure has been conducted without any post-synthesis thermal treatment. The structural and optical properties have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption study, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnO materials has been studied by analyzing the degradation of an herbicide, diuron, under solar light. Ag/ZnO photocatalysts with optimized x = 0.7% Ag content showed 14 times higher rate of degradation than that of unmodified ZnO. We attribute these observations to the addition of silver nanoparticles allowing interfacial oxide-to-metal electron transfer within the hybrid Ag/ZnO photocatalyst. The inhibitory and bactericidal activities of samples have been tested against Gram-negative bacteria; Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and gram-positive bacteria; Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium and Candida albicans . The results showed that the Ag/ZnO can be used as photocatalysts and antibacterial agents for potential practical applications in the wastewater treatment. Graphical Abstract Schematic of the proposed photocatalytic and bactericidal mechanism of Ag/ZnO nanostructure.