Facile fabrication of silver iodide/graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposites by notable photo-catalytic performance through sunlight and antimicrobial activity

Abstract

Silver iodide/graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposites have been successfully fabricated through sonication-assisted deposition-precipitation route at room temperature and hydrothermal method. Varied mass ratios and preparation processes can modify the structure, purity, shape, and scale of specimens. The purity of the product was confirmed by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray crystallography. The morphology and size of specimens could be observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The bandgap was evaluated around 2.82 eV for pure g-C3N4. The bandgap has reduced to 2.70 eV by increasing the quantity of silver iodide in the nanocomposites. The photocatalytic activity of AgI/C3N4 has been studied over the destruction of rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) through visible radiation due to their suitable bandgap. The as-prepared AgI/C3N4 nanocomposites photocatalyst revealed better photocatalytic behavior than the genuine AgI and C3N4 which ascribed to synergic impacts at the interconnection of C3N4 and AgI. Furthermore, these nanocomposites have great potential for being a great antibacterial agent.