Experimental and theoretical study of catalytic dye degradation and bactericidal potential of multiple phase Bi and MoS2 doped SnO2 quantum dots

In the present study, different concentrations (1 and 3%) of Bi were incorporated into a fixed amount of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and SnO2 quantum dots (QDs) by co-precipitation technique. This research aimed to increase the efficacy of dye degradation and bactericidal behavior of SnO2. The high recombination rate of SnO2 can be decreased upon doping with two-dimensional materials (MoS2 nanosheets) and Bi metal. These binary dopants-based SnO2 showed a significant role in methylene blue (MB) dye degradation in various pH media and antimicrobial potential as more active sites are provided by nanostructured MoS2 and Bi3+ is responsible for producing a variety of different oxygen vacancies within SnO2. The prepared QDs were described via morphology, optical characteristics, elemental composition, functional group, phase formation, crystallinity, and d-spacing. In contrast, antimicrobial activity was checked at high and low dosages against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and the inhibition zone was calculated utilizing a Vernier caliper. Furthermore, prepared samples have expressed substantial antimicrobial effects against E. coli. To further explore the interactions between the MB and Bi/MoS2-SnO2 composite, we modeled and calculated the MB adsorption using density functional theory and the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof hybrid (HSE06) approach. There is a relatively strong interaction between the MB molecule and Bi/MoS2-SnO2 composite.

Automated summary

In this study, different concentrations of Bi were incorporated into MoS2 and SnO2 QDs to enhance the dye degradation and antibacterial activity of SnO2. The binary dopants-based SnO2 showed improved performance due to the presence of nanostructured MoS2 and Bi metal. The prepared QDs were characterized and exhibited significant antimicrobial effects against E. coli. The interaction between MB and Bi/MoS2-SnO2 composite was investigated using density functional theory and HSE06 approach.