1. Increasing the photocatalytic and fungicide activities of Ag3PO4 microcrystals under visible-light irradiation.
- Author
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Oliveira, Lucas Portela, Foggi, Camila Cristina de, Pimentel, Bruna Natália Alves da Silva, Assis, Marcelo, Andrés, Juan, Longo, Elson, and Vergani, Carlos Eduardo
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PHOTOCATALYSTS , *ANTIFUNGAL agents , *SILVER phosphates , *FIELD emission electron microscopy , *VISIBLE spectra , *MICROCRYSTALLINE polymers , *IRRADIATION - Abstract
The present study reports for the first time the performance of silver phosphate (Ag 3 PO 4) microcrystals as photocatalyst (degradation of Rodamine B-RhB) and antifungal agent (against Candida albicans – C. albicans) under visible-light irradiation (455 nm). Ag 3 PO 4 microcrystals were synthesized by a simple co-precipitation (CP) method at room temperature. The structural and electronic properties of the as-synthetized Ag 3 PO 4 have been investigated before and after 4 cycles of RhB degradation under visible light using X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-Raman spectroscopy, UV–Vis spectrophotometer and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images. The antifungal activity was analyzed in planktonic cells and 48h-biofilm of C. albicans by colony forming units (CFU) counting, confocal laser and FE-SE microscopies. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software. Morphological and structural modifications of Ag 3 PO 4 were observed upon recycling. After 4 recycles, the material maintained its photodegradation property; an eightfold increase in the efficiency of Ag 3 PO 4 was observed in planktonic cells and a two fold increase in biofilm when irradiated under visible light. Thus, higher antifungal effectiveness against C. albicans was obtained when associated with visible-light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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