Polyacrylamide@Zr(IV) vanadophosphate nanocomposite: Ion exchange properties, antibacterial activity, and photocatalytic behavior

Polyacrylamide Zr(IV) vanadophosphate (PAM/ZVP) nanocomposite was synthesized via simple sol–gel method. The synthesized PAM/ZVP nanocomposite was studied for its ion exchange properties. The nanocomposite showed higher ion exchange capacity (IEC) compared to its inorganic counterpart Zr(IV) vanadophosphate (ZVP). The nanocomposite was well characterized using various techniques viz.-TEM, SEM, XRD, and FTIR. The PAM/ZVP showed promising photocatalytic nature for degradation of Congo red dye under sunlight. The enhanced dye remediation was observed as material behaved as adsorbent and photocatalyst simultaneously under coupled conditions in dye removal experiments. Thus, PAM/ZVP is a probable superior hybrid photo catalyst for dye waste treatment.

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