Solar Assisted Mitigation of Chloramphenicol and H2 Evolution Using CuNi Alloy Nanoparticles on h-BN Doped g-C3N4 : A Comprehensive Approach Combining Synchrotron and DFT Analysis

Abstract

A simple one-step deposition-precipitation method was used to synthesize CuNi alloy bimetallic nanoparticles supported on h-BN/g-C3N4. The nanocomposite was applied for hydrogen gas evolution and photocatalytic chloramphenicol (CHP) removal. Through TEM and synchrotron studies, formation of CuNi alloy and uniform distribution of CuNi bimetallic nanoparticles on the h-BN/g-C3N4 surface was observed1,2 . The EXAFS analysis verified successful formation of the alloy, while the XPS and XANES spectra showed that the bimetallic nanoparticles are in a metallic state3,4. Additionally, XANES revealed nanoparticle distortion upon interaction with the support, confirming the effective formation of the nanocomposite. The nanocomposite achieved a maximum hydrogen evolution rate of 3658.9 µmol g⁻¹h⁻¹ for 5wt% CuNi(3:1)/h-BN/g-C3N4, outperforming CuNi(3:1) nanoparticles and pristine gC3N4 by 1.82 and 4.31 times, respectively. Additionally, it degraded chloramphenicol with a rate constant (kapp) of 0.018 min⁻¹. Optical and electrochemical analysis revealed enhanced charge mobility, extended lifetime, improved photostability, and superior photoresponse. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations attributed the performance to the synergy between the bimetallic nanoparticles and the h-BN/g-C3N4 sheet. DFT calculations demonstrated effective breakdown of chloramphenicol and promotion of hydrogen gas evolution, aligning with experimental observations5 . Cytotoxicity of CHP post-treatment was analyzed using Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) and the Oregon-R strain of Drosophila melanogaster