Self-Assembled Elastomer@bimetallic Oxide Nanocluster Formations as Hybrid Heterojunction Thin Films for Target Specific Water Purification System
摘要
Triple action toxin responsive multilayered architecture was designed as hybrid heterojunction thin films for water filtration units. The construction is nanoclustered formation designed as multilayered assembly ~ (PEI/PSS)5/(PDMS-NH2@ZnO-Co3O4)15 with self-assembled deposition adaptability as porous and non-porous thin films. The multilayered architectural design coupled two fabrication techniques; co-precipitation for ZnO-Co3O4 and Layer-by-Layer (LbL) deposition for the inclusion of binary oxide in multilayered PDMS-NH2 thin films. The crystallographic behavior, chemical nature and bonding of the product were confirmed by XRD, FTIR, Raman and UV-Vis spectroscopic studies. Characteristic ZnO-Co3O4 IR peaks were observed at 460, 567, and 685 cm− 1 whereas Raman studies also established the Co inclusion in ZnO structure with prominent modes recorded around 719, 630, 530, and 495 cm− 1 followed by E2 (high) peak shift ~ 450 cm− 1. Besides, SEM studies recorded uniform multilayered deposition whereas EDX analysis validated accurate elemental composition in the designed hybrid heterojunction. Additionally, sequential multilayered growth of thin films was recorded via Ellipsometry (film thickness~98 nm) and UV-Vis (λmax = 374 nm) for 15 optimized layer pair depositions. The multilayered architecture demonstrates effective performance as all-in-one smart nanofilter linings for polluted water remediation having target specific mechanism of action for heavy metal adsorption, dye degradation and antimicrobial capacity, as recorded via FAAS, ICP-OES and UV-Vis studies. The enclosed findings based on structural elucidation and product application validate the potential of the current research in unwrapping the novelty it offers for water purification.