Photocatalytic degradation of pesticide intermediate using green eco-friendly amino functionalized cellulose nanocomposites

Highlights: • New composite CMC/Tryp/TiO₂ was prepared via coordination-assisted self-assembly. • CMC/Tryp/TiO₂ shows remarkable improved photocatalytic activity. • CMC/Tryp/TiO₂ shows stability due to its new geometry. • CMC/Tryp/TiO₂ show surprising performance against pathogenic microbial strain. In this work, a simple technique was used as a tool for combining of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) with Tryptophan (Tryp). A new organic/inorganic cellulosic composite was fabricated by embedding different amounts of TiO₂ nanoparticles (ranged from 0 to 4%) into CMC/Tryp hybrid material. FT-IR and X-ray analysis confirmed the structure of the new composite (CMC/Tryp/TiO₂). The changes in the surface morphology were identified by SEM. The computational calculation of CMC, Tryp, and CMC/Tryp by DFT/ B3LYP/6-31G (d) basis sets was studied. The new composites were investigated for their ability to act as catalyst for photodegradation of pesticide intermediate (2,4-dichlorophenol; 2,4-DCP). Surprising performance was obtained by increasing the amount of TiO₂ onto the composite, the rate of degradation was increased by 11.6 times in the case of 4% TiO₂ more than 0% TiO₂. Also, the prepared composites displayed excellent antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger.