Enhanced photocatalytic and antifungal activity of hydroxyapatite/α-AgVO3 composites

Abstract Hydroxyapatite/α-silver vanadate (HA/α-AgVO3) composites for fungi growth inhibition and photocatalytic discoloration of organic compounds were synthesized by chemical precipitation. The structural and morphological characterization of the 7.5 and 22.5 wt% HA/α-AgVO3 composites revealed HA nanorods with hexagonal crystalline structure successfully deposited on α-AgVO3 microrods with monoclinic structure. Under UV light illumination, the 22.5 wt% HA/α-AgVO3 sample exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity (85%) within 60 min on the discoloration of methylene blue. A mechanism for this property is herein presented, where the main responsible for the potentialized photoactivity was the charge accumulation at the α-AgVO3 band structure. Moreover, HA/α-AgVO3 composites exhibited fungistatic activity against Fusarium guttiforme and Colletotrichum horii, evidencing successful preparation of multifunctional materials.