Improved catalytic activity and bactericidal behavior of novel chitosan/V₂O₅ co-doped in tin-oxide quantum dots

The novel V₂O₅/chitosan (CS) co-doped tin oxide (SnO₂) quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized via co-precipitation technique. The optical, structural, morphological, and catalytic properties of the concerned specimens were examined by UV-Vis, PL, FTIR, X-ray diffraction, HR-TEM, and EDS. Structural analysis through XRD confirmed the tetragonal structure of SnO₂; meanwhile, HR-TEM measurements unveiled quantum dot morphology. Rotational and vibrational modes related to functional groups of (O-H, C-H, Sn-O, and Sn-O-Sn) have been assessed with FTIR spectra. Through UV-Vis spectroscopy, a reduction in band-gap (4.39 eV to 3.98 eV) and redshift in co-doped spectra of SnO₂ were identified. Both CS/SnO₂ and V₂O₅-doped CS@SnO₂ showed promising catalytic activity in all media. Meanwhile, CS/SnO₂ showed higher activity for use in hospital and industrial dye degradation in comparison to dopant-free Ch/SnO₂. For V₂O₅/CS@ SnO₂ QDs, inhibition domains of G -ve were significantly confirmed as 1.40-4.15 mm and 1.85-5.45 mm; meanwhile, for G +ve were noticed as 2.05-4.15 mm and 2.40-5.35 mm at least and maximum concentrations, correspondingly. These findings demonstrate the efficient role of V₂O₅/CS@SnO₂ QDs towards industrial dye degradation and antimicrobial activity.