Degradation of toxin via ultraviolet and sunlight photocatalysis using ZnO quantum dots/CuO nanosheets composites: preparation and characterization studies

Finding the materials, which help to control the water pollution caused by organic and bacterial pollutants is one of the challenging tasks for the scientific community. We have developed and characterized a material, which can be used to remove of pollutant compound. ZnO quantum dots decorated CuO nanosheets composites have been synthesized using a hydrothermal method. The as synthesized ZnO QDs/CuO NSs composites were characterized by various techniques. The Crystallite sizes were to be obtained 12.5 and 3.2 nm for CuO NSs and ZnO QDs/CuO NSs composite. The energy band gap of the CuO NSs and ZnO QDs/CuO NSs composite are calculated to be 2.01 and 1.86 eV, respectively. The CuO NSs and ZnO QDs/CuO NSs composites are efficiently utilized for the photocatalytic degradation of Tetanus toxin (TeNT) as a target pollutant under UV and sunlight irradiation. The ZnO QDs/CuO NSs composites reveal excellent photocatalytic degradation of TeNT by degrading it up to 75% under UV and sunlight irradiation. The photocatalysis efficiency of ZnO QDs/CuO NSs composite is clearly higher than CuO NSs. The antibacterial activity of the CuO NSs and ZnO QDs/CuO NSs composites was also investigated on gram positive (Enterococcus faecalis) and gram negative (Micrococcus luteus) microbes.