Facile synthesis of novel ZnO-MgO nanohybrids and its photocatalytic degradation of toxic pollutants

Abstract

The development of high receptive photocatalysts for the degradation of dye from water is an implication route to unravel the complications of water contamination. ZnO-MgO nanocomposite was successfully prepared by the egg albumin-assisted route. The crystallinity, morphological, optical characteristics, and photocatalytic performance of the composite were investigated by XRD, FTIR, SEM with EDS, and UV-DRS. The results of the XRD study affirmed that the nanocomposite comprises of hexagonal and cubic stages with a normal crystalline size of 34 nm. FTIR demonstrates the distinctive vibrational frequencies of ZnO-MgO at 454 and 524 cm−1. The SEM micrographs represented nanoparticles with a flower-like structure. The bandgap value (Eg) was found as 4.5 eV for the ZnO-MgO nanocomposite. The photocatalytic efficiency of the ZnO-MgO nanocomposite has been investigated for the photodegradation of Congo red under daylight illumination. The obtained Congo red degradation results showed good performance under solar light irradiation. The antibacterial properties of ZnO-MgO nanocomposite have been assessed versus G+ and G- bacteria. The outcomes of antibacterial performance designated that ZnO-MgO nanocomposite has bacteriostatic behavior versus Staphylococcus aureus, Aeromonashydrophila and Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Shigella, Staphylococcustyphi, Staphylococcus epidermis, Vibrio cholera, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Furthermore, this work (ZnO-MgO nanocomposite) offers significant insights into more efficient environmental and biomedical applications.