Facile synthesis of rGO/Ag@AgCl core-shells nanocomposite and their multifunctional efficacy as a photocatalyst and antimicrobial agent for decontamination of water

An environmentally friendly process for synthesis of rGO/[email protected] Core-shells nanocomposite was developed by Bitter gourd leaf extract. The core-shell morphology was confirmed by STEM-EDX line profile and elemental mapping images. As-synthesized nanocomposite was utilized as photocatalyst for degradation of Clofibric acid (CA) and Naphthol Green B (NGB) from aqueous phase under solar irradiation. As-synthesized nanocomposites showed photodegradation up to 98% of CA and 98.7% of NGB within 40 and 30 min, respectively. Here, we also investigated the optimum amount of nanocomposites for the photodegradation process. ESR analyses confirmed that the active species such as hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals were mainly accountable for the degradation of organic pollutants. The presence of rGO enhanced the catalytic activity of [email protected] NPs. The as-prepared nanocomposite was also utilized for the removal of biological impurities against bacterial strains. Hence form the present study, it was confirmed that the synthesized [email protected] nanocomposites act as a potential material for wastewater treatment.