Efficient photocatalytic degradation of toxic dyes from aqueous environment using gelatin-Zr(IV) phosphate nanocomposite and its antimicrobial activity.

In the present study, gelatin-Zr(IV) phosphate nanocomposite (GT/ZPNC) was synthesized by sol-gel method by mixing the gelatin gel into the inorganic part Zr (IV) phosphate (ZP). The GT/ZPNC was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron micron scope (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photodegradation activity of GT/ZPNC was explored for the removal of methylene blue (MB) and fast green (FG) dyes from aqueous solution. It was found that 87.81% MB and 89.91% FG were degraded within five hours. Also, the kinetics of photocatalytic degradation for MB and FG was investigated via pseudo first-order kinetic model with higher regression coefficient values (R). The antimicrobial efficiency of GT/ZPNC was investigated against E. coli.