Visible-light-driven Ag/AgBr/ZnFe2O4 composites with excellent photocatalytic activity for E. coli disinfection and organic pollutant degradation

Abstract

Visible-light-driven (VLD) Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ composites with different weight ratios of ZnFe₂O₄ were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. The ZnFe₂O₄ was evenly dispersed on the surface of Ag/AgBr particles with the diameter about 20 nm. The obtained Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ composites exhibited the high bacterial disinfection efficiency and inactivated bacteria after 120 min visible illumination, which was better than those of with pure ZnFe₂O₄ and Ag/AgBr. Due to the introduction of ZnFe₂O₄, the Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ inactivated bacterial cells through the generation of H₂O₂, which generated from the electron reduction on the conduction band of ZnFe₂O₄ in the system. The photocatalytic experiments indicated that as-prepared samples showed the good photocatalytic performance toward degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye. In a word, the Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ composites, as the antibacterial photocatalyst, is a promising candidate material in wastewater decontamination.

Keywords: Ag/AgBr; Antibacterial; Escherichia coli; Photocatalytic; ZnFe(2)O(4).