Fabrication of Cr-ZnFe(2)O(4)/S-g-C(3)N(4) Heterojunction Enriched Charge Separation for Sunlight Responsive Photocatalytic Performance and Antibacterial Study

There has been a lot of interest in the manufacture of stable, high-efficiency photocatalysts. In this study, initially Cr doped ZnFe(2)O(4) nanoparticles (NPs) were made via surfactant-assisted hydrothermal technique. Then Cr-ZnFe(2)O(4) NPs were modified by incorporating S-g-C(3)N(4) to enhance their photocatalytic efficiency. The morphological, structural, and bonding aspects were analyzed by XRD, FTIR, and SEM techniques. The photocatalytic efficiency of the functional Cr-ZnFe(2)O(4)/S-g-C(3)N(4) (ZFG) heterostructure photocatalysts was examined against MB under sunlight. The produced ZFG-50 composite has the best photocatalytic performance, which is 2.4 and 3.5 times better than that of ZnFe(2)O(4) and S-g-C(3)N(4), respectively. Experiments revealed that the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the ZFG nanocomposite was caused by a more effective transfer and separation of photo-induced charges. The ZFG photocatalyst can use sunlight for treating polluted water, and the proposed modification of ZnFe(2)O(4) using Cr and S-g-C(3)N(4) is efficient, affordable, and environmentally benign. Under visible light, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were employed to ZFG-50 NCs’ antimicrobial activity. These ZFG-50 NCs also exhibit excellent antibacterial potential.