Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Potency of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles: A Cost-Effective and Environmentally Friendly Media for Treatment of Air and Wastewater
Zohaib Razzaq, Awais Khalid, Pervaiz Ahmad, Muhammad Farooq, Mayeen Uddin Khandaker, Abdelmoneim Sulieman, Ibad Ur Rehman, Sohail Shakeel, Ajmal Khan
Abstract
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy were used to study the structure, morphology, chemical composition, and functional group attached to the as-synthesized TiO2-NPs. These NPs were then used to test their efficacy against various microbes and their potency as effective catalysts. TiO2-NPs are found to have the maximum antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacterial strains rather than Gram-positive bacteria. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2-NPs was investigated for the photodegradation of 10 ppm bromophenol blue (BPB) dye by using 0.01 g–0.05 g of catalyst. TiO2-NPs exhibited the removal of 95% BPB, respectively, within 180 min. The TiO2-NPs’ antibacterial and catalytic properties suggest that these may be used in environmental remediation as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly wastewater and air treatment material.