Facile synthesis of nickel doped ZnO and CeO₂ nanocomposite for efficient photocatalytic dye degradation, catalytic reduction and antimicrobial studies

Abstract

The current research work reports on binary Nickel oxide-Zinc oxide (NiO-ZnO) and Nickel oxide-Cerium oxide (NiO-CeO₂) nanocomposites synthesis by facile single step in-situ thermal decomposition method and its applications. The structural and morphological studies were examined using various characterization techniques like IR, UV-DRS, XRD and SEM with EDAX studies. The IR bands at 545-533 cm⁻¹ corresponds to M-O stretching vibration. The XRD studies confirms the structural pattern of NiO-ZnO and NiO-CeO₂ nanocomposites. SEM with EDAX results reveal the structure, composition and purity of synthesized nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were employed as photocatalyst for degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange dyes and as a catalyst toward 4-nitrophenol reduction. Antibacterial studies against E. coli (Gram-negative) and S. aureus (Gram-positive) bacterial pathogens were carried out using the nanocomposites. The outcomes show 97% efficiency in forty minutes for catalysis and 120 min for dye degradation and a better zone of inhibition in antibacterial studies for NiO-ZnO nanocomposite. The comparative result for both the nanocomposites discloses that the photocatalytic degradation, catalytic and antimicrobial efficiency of NiO-ZnO nanocomposite is more efficient than NiO-CeO₂ nanocomposite. The results reveal the outstanding catalytic and dye degradation and antibacterial activity of NiO-ZnO than NiO-CeO₂.

Keywords:

• Nanocomposite
• mixed metal oxide
• antibacterial stiudies
• dye degradation
• nitophenol redution

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Coimbatore, India for funding the project under the GRG–Trust Project Scheme. The authors thank Department of Science and Technology, India for the equipments provided under DST-FIST scheme.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).