Nanotextured CeO2−SnO2 Composite: Efficient Photocatalytic, Antibacterial, and Energy Storage Fibers

Abstract

Bacterial infections remain a serious and pervasive threat to human health. Bacterial antibiotic resistance, in particular, lowers treatment efficacy and increases mortality. The development of nanomaterials has made it possible to address issues in the biomedical, energy storage, and environmental fields. This paper reports the successful synthesis of CeO2−SnO2 composite nanofibers via an electrospinning method using polyacrylonitrile polymer. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy assessments showed that the average diameter of CeO2−SnO2 nanofibers was 170 nm. The result of photocatalytic degradation for methylene blue dye displayed enhanced efficiency of the CeO2−SnO2 composite. The addition of SnO2 to CeO2 resulted in the enhancement of the light absorption property and enriched charge transmission of photoinduced electron–hole duos, which conspicuously contributed to momentous photoactivity augmentation. Composite nanofibers exhibited higher specific capacitance which may be accredited to the synergism between CeO2 and SnO2 particles in nanofibers. Furthermore, antibacterial activity was screened against Escherichia coli and CeO2−SnO2 composite nanofibers depicted excellent activity. The findings of this work point to new possibilities as an electrode material in energy storage systems and as a visible-light-active photocatalyst for the purification of chemical and biological contaminants, which would substantially benefit environmental remediation processes.