Photocatalytic Performance and Antibacterial Activity of Biomass Derived Activated Carbon/CeO₂ Nanocomposite

Azo dye is the deadliest and nefarious pollutant present in effluents that have devastating impacts on both human and aquatic organisms. This research focused on the photocatalytic degradation of tartrazine, using visible light irradiation with NPC (nanoporous carbon)/CeO₂ nanocomposite catalyst. Cerium oxide and NPC-doped cerium oxide (CeO₂ and NPC/CeO₂) were synthesized via the ultrasonic-assisted method. Different characterization methods were used to confirm the two photocatalysts systematically and the photocatalytic activity and reusability of tartrazine are compared. The cubic crystal phase was confirmed by XRD studies, which confirm a stable phase of CeO₂ upon incorporation of NPC. Evaluation of photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation shows that the NPC/CeO₂ nanocomposite exhibits remarkable photocatalytic activity over undoped CeO₂ nanoparticle, with 96% of the pollutant being degraded with reaction rate constant k of 0.0185 min⁻¹. The degradation was about three times higher than undoped CeO₂ nanoparticle. The obviously enhanced photocatalytic activity of the NPC/CeO₂ nanocomposite should be mainly due to the reduction of CeO₂ bandgap by adding NPC, which can accelerate the separation of photogenerated charge carrier. Furthermore, the assessment of the antibacterial activity NPC/CeO₂ nanocomposite inhibits the growth of both Bacillus cereus (gram-positive) and Salmonella typhimurium (gram-negative) bacteria. The AC/CeO₂ nanocomposite shows how effective photocatalyst is against tetrazine dye and its superior biological activity.