Behavior of Silica Nanoparticles Synthesized from Rice Husk Ash by the Sol–Gel Method as a Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Agent

Abstract

Silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) are one of the most well-studied inorganic nanoparticles for many applications. They offer the advantages of tunable size, biocompatibility, porous structure, and larger surface area. Thus, in this study, a high yield of SiO2 NPs was produced via the chemical treatment of rice husk ash by the sol–gel method. Characteristics of the prepared SiO2 NPs were validated using different characterization techniques. Accordingly, the phase, chemical composition, morphological, and spectroscopic properties of the prepared sample were studied. The average particle size of the SiO2 NPs was found to be approximately 60–80 nm and the surface area was 78.52 m²/g. The prepared SiO2 NPs were examined as photocatalysts for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye under UV irradiation. It was found that the intensity of the characteristic absorption band of MO decreased gradually with exposure time increasing, which means the successful photodegradation of MO by SiO2 NPs. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of obtained SiO2 NPs was investigated by counting the coliform bacteria in the surface water using the most probable number (MPN) index method. The results revealed that the MPN of coliform bacteria untreated and treated by SiO2 NPs was estimated to be 170 CFU/100 mL and 10 CFU/100 mL, respectively, resulting in bacterial growth inhibition of 94.12%.