Comparison between NiO and MnO2 nanoparticles deposited on graphene-coated nickel foam for water purification applications

Nanoparticles of NiO, and MnO2 nanoparticles were successfully synthesized on graphene-coated Nickel foam (NFG) substrates for the synthesis of dual-functional specimens for antibacterial and photocatalytic applications. The morphological, structural, and optical properties were investigated thanks to the techniques of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. It was observed from XRD analysis that alpha-MnO2 and NiO nanoparticles were deposited with high purity as a thin film on NFG substrates. The photocatalytic efficiency of the synthesized materials was tested on a Methylene blue (MB) solution as a target dye pollutant and the obtained results indicate a good degradation rate under visible light irradiation. Antibacterial activity was tested on Staph aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the yeast Candida albicans. The obtained results show that MnO2/NFG and NiO/NFG specimens constitute good candidates for the treatment of wastewater.