Simple two-step development of TiO₂/Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and photo-bio active applications

The simultaneous incorporation of iron (III) oxide (Fe₂O₃) and titanium oxide (TiO₂) forms a noteworthy composite for oxygen evolution reactions, photocatalytic, and antimicrobial applications. TiO₂/Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite was deposited utilizing a patented, single-step altered pseudo-successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (p-SILAR) process for the deposition of oxides, which was employed in this study to form Fe₂O₃ for the first time. The developed nanocomposite exhibits improved electrocatalytic water splitting, photocatalytic activity, and antimicrobial performance. Controlled deposition and heat treatment enable the formation of Fe₂O₃ and TiO₂, as verified by SEM, EAM, and XPS analysis. Incorporation of Fe₂O₃ significantly enhances the photocatalytic activity of P25 TiO₂ nanoparticles, demonstrated by the visible light dye degradation test. The nanocomposite degrades 58% of the Rhodamine B dye in 100 min, while pure TiO₂ degrades only 26%. The NC also shows higher antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus compared to pure TiO₂. Water splitting performance is evaluated using Electro Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV), and Tafel Slopes. The results show that TiO₂/Fe₂O₃ NCs exhibit improved oxygen evolution reaction compared to pure TiO₂.