Abstract:
Visible light (VL) active silver decorated iron titanate/titanium dioxide (AgFeTiO3/TiO2) nanohybrids derived from natural ilmenite sand effectively
cleanse the exophytic plant pathogens in explants grown by in vitro techniques. VL active nanohybrid is synthesized by acid-hydrolysis of natural
ilmenite, followed by precipitation of the lixivium and decoration with Ag
onto FeTiO3/TiO2 nanoparticles, and finally calcination under a nitrogen
environment to obtain Ag-FeTiO3/TiO2. A morphological study conducted
using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirms the formation of
Ag-FeTiO3/TiO2. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis shows that the
nanohybrid primarily consists of anatase, iron titanate (FeTiO3), Ag2O, and
Ag. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study suggests the presence of
Ag0
/Ag2O/Fe2O3 composites on the FeTiO3/TiO2 particle surface. The optical
band gap significantly changes from 3.14 eV (ilmenite) to 2.80 eV after the
decoration of FeTiO3/TiO2 with Ag. This nanohybrid is utilized as a surfacesterilizing agent for in vitro establishment of the Dracaena sanderiana Sander
ex Mast plant. Findings illustrate Ag-FeTiO3/TiO2 nanohybrid-based photosterilization leads to the survival of 90% of the microbes’ free cultures while
the material can be re-used due to its photocatalytic behavior. Thus, the newly
synthesized nanohybrid can replace harmful sterilization agents used in
tissue culture techniques.
