Micro–nanobubble-assisted photocatalytic and antibacterial performance of rGO- modified PbFe₁₂O₁₉/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites
摘要
Water pollution from industrial effluents remains a major global challenge and demands effective and eco-friendly treatment plans. In this work, we report for the first time the integration of micro–nanobubble (MNB) technology with a ternary PbFe12O19/g-C3N4/rGO (PGR) nanocomposite for photocatalytic dye degradation and antibacterial applications. The PGR nanocomposite was synthesized via a hydrothermal process and systematically characterized by XRD, SEM, Raman and FTIR analyses. The band gap of pristine PbFe₁₂O₁₉ (2.94 eV) was successfully tuned in the composite (2.40 eV). The PGR nanocomposite achieved rapid degradation of methyl orange (95%) and crystal violet (98%) following pseudo-first-order kinetics with rate constants of 0.024 and 0.022 min⁻¹ respectively. The unique synergy between rGO-mediated charge transfer, g-C₃N₄ sensitization and MNB-induced reactive oxygen species generation led to enhanced electron mobility, suppressed recombination and superior catalytic efficiency. Moreover, the composite exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study introduces a novel micro–nanobubble driven photocatalytic platform, offering a promising and sustainable route for wastewater purification coupled with antibacterial functionality.