Enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial performance of NiCo₂S₄ nanostructures

In this study, NiCo₂S₄ nanostructures are synthesized to investigate their antibacterial and photocatalytic activities. Thiourea is used to control the growth rate of nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity of the NiCo₂S₄ nanostructures are tested using the popular dye amaranth. Photodegradation of the amaranth dye resulted in a higher efficiency of the NiCo₂S₄ nanostructures. The nano-sized NiCo₂S₄ has enhanced the dye degradation efficiency owing to the dual effects of adsorption and photodegradation. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of the NiCo₂S₄ nanostructures against different bacterial strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staph aureus, and Bacillus subtilis are determined by the Kirby-Bauer method. NiCo₂S₄ nanostructures have shown superior antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with maximum inhibition zones of 20 and 18 mm, respectively.