Browsing by Author "Brik, Afaf"

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    MnO2 decorated Silicon Nanowires: A novel photocatalyst for improved Rhodamine B removal under visible light exposure
    (Elsevier, 2024) Derkaoui, Khaled; Bencherifa, Ismail; Hadjersi, Toufik; Belkhettab, Ilyas; Boukhouidem, K.; Bouanik, Sihem Aissiou; Brik, Afaf; Kechouane, Mohamed; Kaci, Mohamed Mehdi
    Pollution triggered by organic dyes is a prominent global concern. Thus, it is imperative to devise an effective preventative strategy to tackle this matter. Herein, using the chemical electroless deposition process, a novel SiNWs/MnO2 photocatalyst was successfully manufactured for efficacious photocatalytic purification under visible lighting. Through a series of characterization techniques, the structural, morphological, compositional, and optical features of MnO2-deposited silicon nanowires were thoroughly investigated. The photocatalytic ability of the resultant sample was reckoned by degrading Rhodamine B upon visible exposure. Following 180 min of brightness, the findings found that SiNWs/MnO2 displayed remarkable effectiveness, with a lessening of 93.4 %. The findings demonstrated a significant enhancement in degradation performance linked to the rising surface area and enhanced electron-hole segregation efficiency provided by silicon nanowires. Also, the sample's recyclability was assessed, exhibiting an encouraging sustainability with a slight fall in effectiveness (∼10%) after 6 straight utilizes. Furthermore, scavenging tests have shown that •OH and •O2− were prevalent species accountable for the RhB degradation reaction. Eventually, founded on the results, a plausible mechanism for RhB decomposition was suggested. Altogether, given the straightforward manufacturing method and impressive performance, the study argues that the novel SiNWs/MnO2 might be an intriguing photocatalyst for water contaminant remediation.
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    Tetracycline Degradation Under Visible Light Using a New SiNW/CeO2/NiO Composite as a High-Efficiency Photocatalyst
    (Springer, 2025) Brik, Afaf; Hadjersi, Toufik; Khaled, Derkaoui; Naama, Sabrina; Bendadel, Karima; Souraya, Bouachma; Benredouane, Soumia; Khadija, Boukhouidem
    Recently, extensive research has focused on the purification of antibiotic-contaminated wastewater via photocatalysis techniques. In this context, many types of photocatalysts have been studied. In this work, silicon nanowires (SiNWs) were synthesized and coated with nickel oxide (NiO) and cerium oxide (CeO2) via a hydrothermal technique and used as new photocatalysts to degrade a recalcitrant antibiotic, namely, tetracycline (TC), under visible light irradiation. The prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV–Vis spectrophotometry (UV–Vis). These characterizations revealed that SiNWs are well coated over their entire length with NiO and CeO2. A 96% degradation rate of TC was achieved within 120 min under visible light irradiation. This enhanced performance is attributed to improved visible light absorption, efficient charge generation, and better charge separation and transfer enabled by the synergistic effects among SiNWs, CeO2, and NiO. The primary species involved in TC degradation were determined by radical scavenging tests to be e⁻, ⋅OH, O2⋅-, and h⁺, which allowed to suggest a reaction mechanism. Finally, this work proposes a new approach to synthesize a powerful photocatalyst that is able to eliminate emerging contaminants from the aquatic environment