Development and application of a novel CaTiO3/NiO/AgBr ternary heterostructure for the treatment of highly concentrated dyes and its performance as an antimicrobial agent

Ceramics International

2025-10

Ternary heterostructure

Advanced oxidation processes

Sonophotocatalysis

Photocatalysis solar

Antimicrobial activity

Industrialization and urbanization have intensified water contamination due to effluents, necessitating new treatment technologies. Advanced oxidation processes based on semiconductors, such as photocatalysis and sonocatalysis, have emerged as promising alternatives. In this context, this study proposes the synthesis and characterization of a novel ternary heterostructure, CaTiO3/NiO/AgBr, with excellent photocatalytic efficiency for decontaminating industrial effluent. The samples were synthesized via microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis, followed by calcination and deposition of AgBr particles, and subsequently characterized by: XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, FEG-SEM, TEM, UV–Vis/DRS, BET, XPS, PL, Zeta potential, and EPR. Photocatalytic activity was evaluated in methylene blue solution and mixtures of cationic and anionic dyes under sonocatalysis, photocatalysis, and sonophotocatalysis conditions. The heterostructure prepared with the CaTiO3/10 %NiO/30 %AgBr ratio exhibited the highest degradation performance, attributed to enhanced light absorption capacity, optimized spatial separation of e-/h+ and surface plasmon resonance effect, which boosted generation of •OH− and •O2− radicals responsible for mineralizing contaminants. The heterostructure additionally demonstrated excellent reusability over at least five consecutive cycles. In vitro assays with Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria further confirmed its antimicrobial properties