Ultrasonic Assisted Synthesis of CuFe₂O₄-Ag infused Gum Hydrogels Nanocomposite for photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Dye from Wastewater

The reusability of photocatalyst and bactericidal properties plays a crucial role in water pollutant management. Herein, copper ferrite-silver (CuFe₂O₄-Ag) nanomaterial incorporated Gum Arabic Acrylamide (GAA) hydrogel nanocomposites was fabricated via free radical polymerization method to enhance the photocatalytic efficiency and antimicrobial assay. The structural, morphological, compositional, thermal, optical, and physico-chemical properties of the synthesized hydrogel nanocomposite were analyzed using various techniques. A decrease in direct band gap value as 1.83 eV for CuFe₂O₄-Ag nanocomposite was observed which would further enhance the photocatalytic ability of nanocomposite. The results suggested that CuFe₂O₄-Ag nanocomposite was infused inside the matrix of GAA hydrogel. The swelling ability of fabricated hydrogel nanocomposite was found to be 1328%. The photocatalytic degradation followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic reaction model, achieving a 90% removal of methylene blue dye using the nanocomposite, with a rate constant value of 14.09 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹ Moreover, photocatalyst maintain 71% degradation efficiency over three consecutive cycles. The antibacterial effects on Escherichia coli (E. coli) were also examined, and the CuFe₂O₄-Ag nanocomposite showed good efficacy, as indicated by the measured zones of inhibition. Hence, the nanocomposite-infused hydrogel demonstrates significant potential as an advanced material for the remediation of water pollution, effectively targeting both organic and biological contaminants.

In this work, CuFe₂O₄-Ag nanocomposite was ultrasonically incorporated into GAA hydrogel for their applicability in photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye and antimicrobial assay against E. coli.