Oxytetracycline degradation and antidermatophytic activity of novel biosynthesized MoS₂ photocatalysts

The presence of environmental contamination poses a significant threat to life on our planet. Oxytetracycline, an antibiotic with a broad spectrum of effectiveness, demonstrates resistance to biodegradation, potentially resulting in an ecological hazard. In this study, we synthesized both pure and biosynthesized Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS2) nanoparticles using extracts from the bark of Ficusreligiosa L (FR) and leaves of ZiziphusjujubeL (ZJ). These nanopartices were characterized by various analytical methods to assess their efficiency in photocatalytic degradation of oxytetracycline (OTC) and their antidermatophytic activity. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the prepared MoS2 catalysts typically exhibited hexagonal phase structure with crystalline size of approximately 13, 6, and 4 nm. Both pure and biosynthesized MoS2 nanoparticles displayed a nanoflake-like morphology with a spherical size distribution. BET surface area analyses exhibited an increase in surface area for biosynthesized MoS2 nanoparticles from 79 to 121 m(2)g(-1). Optical absorption revealed a red shift in band gap energy, decreasing from 2.37 to 2.03 eV for biosynthesized MoS2 nanoparticles. The biosynthesized MoS2:FR nanoparticles exhibited remarkable OTC degradation with 99 % achieved within 100 min along with strong antifungal activity (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration - MIC of 12.5 mu g/mL, Minimum Fungicidal Concentration - MFC of 25 mu g/mL). These biosynthesized MoS2 catalysts are promising for water treatment purposes.