Hydrothermal synthesis of V₂O₅/TiO₂ decorated graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposite for biomolecule oxidation inhibition and dye degradation applications

Oxides of vanadium, titanium and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) are well known for their catalytic activities. In order to achieve synergic catalytic effects, a novel nanocomposite (NC) i.e. V₂O₅/TiO₂/g-C₃N₄ has been synthesized by a very simple, ecofriendly and nonhazardous hydrothermal method. The fabricated NC was characterized employing UV–Visible, FTIR, SEM, and XRD techniques. UV–Visible and FTIR analysis indicated the formation of the nanocomposite and XRD analysis confirmed the association of V₂O₅ and TiO₂ with g-C₃N₄ in nanocomposite. SEM study indicated the hetero-structure of NC having size ranging from 50 to 80 nm and it was found having hexagonal crystallite structure. The synthesized nanocomposite exhibited excellent scavenging of free radicals DPPH^● (91%) and ABTS^●+ (64%) that are responsible for the oxidation of biomolecules. Therefore, NC can be claimed having biomolecule oxidation protective potential. In addition, photocatalytic ability for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) was also achieved up to 94% and 89% respectively. The synthesized novel nanocomposite exhibited excellent potential to remove free radicals and dyes from aqueous medium which can be further used for the environmental remediation.