Proficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic and anti-biofilm activity of biosynthesized CeO2-graphene oxide nanocomposites

This study has applied a simple sonication method to synthesize graphene oxide (GO) loaded cerium oxide (CeO2) nanocomposites from an aqueous extract of Phoenix dactylifera fruit. The green route was employed because it is eco-friendly and cost-effective. The synthesized nanocomposites were analyzed by various char-acterization tools such as XRD, UV-Vis. spectroscopy, TEM, FTIR, RAMAN, GC-MS, BET, and XPS to study their structural, morphological, and optical properties. The obtained nanoparticles were spherical, with average crystallite sizes between 6 and 12 nm. Owing to the presence of toxic agents and a high load of microbial agents in wastewater, the development of sustainable and environment-friendly technology for wastewater treatment is gaining importance. In this regard, the photodegradation efficiency of the biosynthesized GO/CeO2 nano-composites was studied by the degradation of model dye, methyl orange (100 ppm), and the anti-biofilm activity of the nanocomposites was investigated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria under visible light irradiation. The GO/CeO2 nanocomposite samples have shown enhanced removal of methyl orange dye compared to bare CeO2 nanoparticles. The experimental observation showed that the 30% GO-CeO2 is the optimized nanocomposite that achieved 93% photocatalytic degradation efficiency and maximum incubation, 82% of gram-negative and 60% of gram-positive, of bacteria. Thus, GO/CeO2 nanocomposites, owing to their enhanced photocatalytic proficiency and anti-biofilm activity, could be utilized for wastewater treatment.