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Engineered g-C3N4/MnO2 Nanocomposite for Exceptional Photocatalytic Methylene Blue Degradation and Robust Antibacterial Impact

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Abstract

In this work, we reported the simple one-step wet impregnation method of g-C3N4/MnO2 nanocomposites aimed at improving the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of methylene blue dye. The synthesized catalysts underwent comprehensive characterization using various techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS) to investigate their physicochemical properties. Their photocatalytic performance was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light irradiation. Consequently, the MnO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite demonstrates superior photocatalytic degradation performance compared to both bare MnO2 and g-C3N4. This enhancement is attributed to the improved efficiency of charge carrier separation and interfacial charge transfer within the nanocomposite structure. The degradation efficiency of MnO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite was found 89% of MB under visible light irradiation at 120 min. Meanwhile, the recyclability analysis demonstrated that the MnO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite can be recycled four times. Furthermore, the substance demonstrated positive antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strains. These findings suggest that the MnO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite, with its dual roles as a photocatalyst and an antibacterial agent, has potential applications in environmental decontamination.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to extend their heartfelt thanks to the Faculty of Engineering at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT) for their invaluable assistance. Furthermore, the authors appreciate the financial support received from the NSRF through the Program Management Unit for Human Resources & Institutional Development Research and Innovation [Grant No. B13F660068]. In addition, the project was supported by Researchers Supporting Project number (RSPD2024R675), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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Author notes

  1. Mahalakshmi Krishnasamy and Priyadharsan Arumugam contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, N.K.R. Government Arts College for Women, Namakkal, Tamilnadu, 637 001, India

    Mahalakshmi Krishnasamy & Barathi Diravidamani

  2. Department of Cariology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, Tamilnadu, 600 077, India

    Priyadharsan Arumugam

  3. Research Center for Nanotechnology Systems, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Puspiptek Area, Tangerang Selatan, Banten, 15314, Indonesia

    Priyadharsan Arumugam & Murni Handayani

  4. Department of Physics, Vivekananda College, Agasteeswaram, Kanyakumari, Tamilnadu, 629 701, India

    T. S. Jayanthi

  5. Department of Biotechnology, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamilnadu, 632014, India

    Shifali Choudhary

  6. Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani, 12110, Thailand

    Thammasak Rojviroon & Ranjith Rajendran

  7. Department of Physics, Periyar University, Salem, Tamilnadu, 636 011, India

    Priyadharshini Matheswaran

  8. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Govindasami Periyasami

  9. Department of Electrochemistry, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Thandalam, Chennai, Tamilnadu, 602105, India

    Ranjith Rajendran

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  1. Mahalakshmi Krishnasamy
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Contributions

Writing, review and editing, Conceptualization, Data curation, Investigation: M.K, P.A, J.T.S, S.C, T.R, P.M,. Formal analysis: M.H, G.P, B.D. Writing-review and editing: R.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ranjith Rajendran.

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Krishnasamy, M., Arumugam, P., Jayanthi, T.S. et al. Engineered g-C3N4/MnO2 Nanocomposite for Exceptional Photocatalytic Methylene Blue Degradation and Robust Antibacterial Impact. J Clust Sci (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10876-024-02628-7

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