Catalytic, antibacterial and thermal characteristics of VO₂ nanoparticles derived from dextrose

The current research investigates the characteristics and application of vanadium oxide nanoparticles (VO₂ NPs) synthesized by the reduction of vanadyl sulphate (VOSO₄) by dextrose. They have been characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Raman, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), zeta potential and thermal studies. An absorption peak at 227 nm in the UV-vis region suggests the presence of pure VO₂ NPs. Two peaks in the FTIR spectrum at 500 and 1071 cm^-1 assigned to V-O and V=O stretching frequencies, respectively, show the presence of cis- and trans structural isomers of VO₂ NPs which is also supported by Raman spectral data. Average crystallite size was found to be 5 nm and showed two different phases for the NPs. EDX profile showed two sharp peaks for vanadium which refers to the purity of the sample. Zeta potential value suggests that VO₂ NPs are stable and neutral in nature. SEM images exhibited irregular shape and two different phases for VO₂. They exhibited 97% photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) in basic medium in daylight. It has great potential for the degradation of polluted water from textile industries under ambient conditions. VO₂ NPs displayed significant antibacterial activity against both gram positive and gram negative bacterial strains. The VO₂ NPs were found to be far more effective in eliminating the P. vulgaris bacteria than the standard antibiotic, Amikacin. Heat flow vs temperature plot showed an increase in heat flow between 353 and 513 °K after which it remained stable up to 1250 °K.