Photocatalytic and antimicrobial properties of microwave synthesized mixed metal oxide nanocomposite

CdO-CuO-ZnO nanocomposite (CCZ NC) was prepared by a simplistic microwave-assisted route and inspected by utilizing diverse spectroscopic ways. The structural and morphological properties of CCZ NC were investigated via XRD, FTIR, and SEM with EDAX analysis. The XRD pattern reveals the crystal structure of cubic CdO, monoclinic CuO, and hexagonal ZnO with average crystallite size around 39 (CdO), 28 (CuO), 30 (ZnO) nm. The FTIR spectrum exposed distinctive vibration frequencies at 566, 630, and 451 cm−1 allocated to Cu-O, Cd-O, and Zn-O stretching vibrations, correspondingly. The flower-like structure was validated with SEM with EDAX investigation. The optical properties of CCZ NC were deliberated via UV–Visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. The optical bandgap of the synthesized CCZ NC is 2.8 eV. High-performance alizarin red S dye photocatalytic degradation (93% at 120 mins) was observed on the flower-like structure CCZ NC, under natural sunlight irradiation. Besides, the antibacterial activities of CCZ NC were investigated against foodborne microorganisms. CCZ NC showed a good zone of inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus (28 mm) and Salmonella typhi (22 mm). These results indicate that synergistic CCZ NC is a promising material for the functioning of bio-imaging, water purifying process, and pharmaceutical applications.