This paper describes the crystal interphase impact of ZnFe2O4-Ag in the photodegradation of Rhodamine B. Prepared ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited with Ag NPs to offer ZnFe2O4-Ag (0-2.5%). An X-ray diffraction peak corresponding to the Ag NPs was detected if the particle content reached about 2.0%, observing multiple crystalline interphases in HR-TEM. Magnetic saturation (Ms) was increased ∼160% times for ZnFe2O4-Ag (7.25 to 18.71 emu/g) and ZnFe2O4 (9.62 to 25.09 emu/g) if the temperature is lowered from 298 to 5.0 K; while for Fe3O4 (91.09 to 96.19 emu/g), the Ms increment was just about 5.6%. After analyzing the DFT-Density of State, a decrease of bandgap energy for ZnFe2O4-Ag6 from the influence of the size of Ag cluster was seen. Quantum yield (Φ) was 0.60 for ZnFe2O4, 0.25 for ZnFe2O4-Ag (1.0%), 0.70 for ZnFe2O4-Ag (1.5%), 0.66 for ZnFe2O4-Ag (2.0%), and 0.66 for ZnFe2O4-Ag (2.5%), showing that the disposition of Ag NPs (1.5-2.5%) increases the Φ to >0.60. The samples were used to photo-oxidize RhB under visible light assisted by photopowered Langmuir adsorption. The degradation follows first-order kinetics (k = 5.5 × 10-3 min-1), resulting in a greater k = 2.0 × 10-3 min-1 for ZnFe2O4-Ag than for ZnFe2O4 (or Fe3O4, k = 1.1 × 10-3 min-1). DFT-total energy was used to analyze the intermediates formed from the RhB oxidation. Finally, the ZnFe2O4-Ag exhibits good antibacterial behavior because of the presence of Zn and the Ag components.
We developed a technique that detects Al3+ in milk/bio-samples, and reversibly applied to recognize tetracycline (TC) in milk, enhancing the fluorescence intensity without interference from other cations (Cd2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Sr2+, Mg2+, Fe3+, K+, Sm3+, Ag+, Na+, Ba2+, Cr3+, Zn2+ and Mn2+); the limit of detection (LOD) is found to be 0.00022 mM with r2 = 0.9439. The detection of Al3+ is tested in milk as well as in living cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Debaryomyces spp.) by TC or by its quantum dots. This is consistent with the molecular orbital, revealing that the lowering of the energy of HOMO (Highly Occupied Molecular Orbital) discourages the electron transfer from HOMO of fluorophore to HOMO of excited states of Al-complex that increases the fluorescent intensity. Interestingly, carbon dots (CDs) generated from TC also recognize Al3+ as its LOD is as low as to 0.00050 mM with r2 of 0.9404.