Efficient One-Pot Synthesis of TiO2/ZrO2/SiO2 Ternary Nanocomposites Using Prunus x Yedoensis Leaf Extract for Enhanced Photocatalytic Dye Degradation

Abstract

A simple, efficient, and ecofriendly method was employed to synthesize TiO2/ZrO2/SiO2 ternary nanocomposites using Prunus x yedoensis leaf extract (PYLE) that shows improved photocatalytic and antibacterial properties. The characterization of the obtained nanocomposites was done by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic (EDS) analysis. The synthesized ternary nanocomposites with nanoscale pore diameters were investigated for the elimination of Reactive Red 120 (RR120) dye. The obtained results showed about 96.2% removal of RR120 dye from aqueous solution under sunlight irradiation. Furthermore, it shows promising antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The improved photocatalytic and antibacterial activity of TiO2/ZrO2/SiO2 may bring unique insights into the production of ternary nanocomposites and their applications in the environment and biomedical field.