Facile synthesis of gold-silver/copper sulfide nanoparticles for the selective/sensitive detection of chromium, photochemical and bactericidal application.

• Au-Ag/CuS nanoparticles by hydrothermal and reduction technique. • The Au-Ag/CuS nanoparticles was used for detection of trivalent chromium. • The Ag-Au NPs catalyst was used to degradation of amoxicillin. • The particles exhibited excellent antibacterial activities. In this project, bimetallic Au-Ag nanoparticles/CuS nanoparticles were prepared via simple hydrothermal methods, which were used as highly efficient material for Cr (III) detection, photocatalytic, and biological process. The Au-Ag/CuS nanoparticles was studied via UV–visible spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Dynamic light scattering, and X-ray diffraction. The zeta potential and effective size of Au-Ag/CuS nanoparticles was −32.1 mV and 25 nm respectively. The response time of Cr (III) ions interaction was 2 min. The lowest detection of Cr (III) by Au-Ag/CuS nanoparticles was 0.5 nM. The Au-Ag/CuS nano catalyst was applied to decomposition of drug under visible lamp irradiation. The photo degradation response of drug was 100.0% in 30 min irradiation. The particles exhibited excellent antibacterial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]