Exploring the dual role of BiVO4 nanoparticles: unveiling enhanced antimicrobial efficacy and photocatalytic performance

Abstract This study was focused on enhancing the structural, optical, antimicrobial, and photocatalytic activities of bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4 ) nanoparticles. The current study utilized a simple hydrothermal technique to fabricate BiVO 4 nanoparticles. Several techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman, Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), were used to examine BiVO 4 . The monoclinic structure of BiVO 4 was confirmed through XRD, XPS, and Raman analysis, validating its high purity and the absence of secondary phases with a size of 31 nm. The decahedral structure and purity of BiVO 4 were revealed through FESEM-EDS microstructure and surface morphology examination. A band gap of 2.36 eV was exhibited by the synthesized BiVO 4 nanoparticles. The conduction band minimum and valence band maximum edge potentials were found to be 2.715 eV and 0.355 eV, respectively. The antimicrobial properties of BiVO 4 NPs were evaluated using the disc diffusion method on a broad spectrum of pathogens. Various bacterial and fungal pathogens showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against BiVO 4 , indicating that BiVO 4 nanoparticles (NPs) could be effective antimicrobial agents. In addition, the photocatalytic performance of BiVO 4 and its degradation efficiency were investigated with Oxytetracycline (OTC), tetracycline (TC), and doxycycline (DC) antibiotics under visible light. The photocatalytic degradation results demonstrated that BiVO 4 successfully degraded the antibiotic residuals. The results showed that the hydrothermally synthesized BiVO 4 nanoparticles have great potential for use in biological and environmental applications. Graphical Abstract