Highly efficient visible-light photocatalytic degradation and antibacterial activity by GaN:ZnO solid solution nanoparticles

The development of high-efficiency photocatalysts is the primary goal in the field of photocatalytic antibacterial research. In this work, the GaN:ZnO solid solution nanoparticles (NPs) photocatalyst with strong visible absorption and large specific surface area was synthesized via the sol-gel and nitridation reaction process. Also, we systematically investigated the removal efficiency of the organic pollutant and antibacterial activity on E. coli and S. aureus. Notably, methylene blue solution could be completely degraded after 100 min of visible light illumination using 2 mg/mL GaN:ZnO catalyst. Moreover, ~94% of the E. coli were inactivated within 120 min, whereas 100% antibacterial activity against S. aureus was achieved after 90 min of visible light illumination mediated by GaN:ZnO NPs. We further explore the potential mechanism of visible light photocatalytic antibacterial activity enhanced by GaN:ZnO NPs photocatalyst. The current work not only provides a new and efficient photocatalytic antibacterial nanomaterial but also demonstrates its promising applications in environmental and biological fields.