Construction of delaminated Ti3C2 MXene/NiFe2O4/V2O5 ternary composites for expeditious pollutant degradation and bactericidal property

Increasing flux of toxic pollutants and harmful microbes ejected by the industrial effluents into water resources have been frightening the natural ecosystem over the years. Ergo, the present work aims to decompose Rhodamine B (RhB), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) using a novel delaminated Ti3C2 MXene/NiFe2O4/V2O5 (D-M/NFO/VO) ternary composite. The construction of pristine materials and composites were testified by crystallography studies, while the morphological characteristics were ascertained by microscopy analyses. In comparison with V2O5 and NiFe2O4/V2O5, 0.5 wt% D-M/NFO/VO exhibited improved photoactivity, which decomposed 88.7% RhB, 72.8% S. aureus and 85.1% B. cereus after 240 min. As an outstanding co-catalyst, Ti3C2 MXene can efficiently capture electron and prevented the charge carrier recom-bination in the composite. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic mechanism of the composite was tested via radical trapping analyses and electron spin resonance spectra, which verified that the hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals served as the pivotal roles for photodegradation of RhB dye. The real-world viability of D-M/NFO/VO photocatalytic system was also examined using the real printed ink wastewater-containing RhB. The phytotoxic effects of real printed ink wastewater-containing RhB toward the germination seeds of Vigna radiata and Vigna unguiculata were significantly decreased after D-M/NFO/VO photocatalysis. This work puts forward for the use of visible light-assisted catalysts toward ameliorating and eradicating the existing multifarious environmental damages.

Automated summary

This study successfully decomposed Rhodamine B dye, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus using a novel composite material. The composite showed improved photoactivity and the Ti3C2 MXene acted as an outstanding co-catalyst. Experimental evidence revealed that hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals played pivotal roles in the photodegradation of RhB dye. Furthermore, the real-world viability of the composite material was demonstrated.