LAUSR

Abstract Pristine CdO and chromium (Cr)-cobalt (Co) co-doped CdO nanowires via a facile co-precipitation protocol were synthesized and characterized with different analytical techniques to investigate its physical, photocatalytic, antibacterial, and electrochemical properties. The co-doping of Cr-Co into CdO matrix and their structural variations were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) data. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectra also confirmed the doping of Cr and Co ions. The energy bandgap was extracted by employing different methods using UV–vis results, exhibited redshift by decreasing Co contents and blue shift by increasing Cr concentration. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images confirmed the preparation of nanowires. The photocatalytic and antibacterial experiments results showed the higher photodegradation efficiency against methylene blue (MB) (99.5%), methyl orange (MO) (90.6%), rhodamine-B (RhB) (87.5%), safranin-O (SF) (87.5%), and methyl red (MR) dyes (99.99%), after 60 min of sunlight illumination and the higher zone of inhibition (ZOI) against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus for optimal doped Cd0.90Co0.05Cr0.05O (Cd4) sample. The recyclability tests using Cd4 catalyst were exhibited higher stability up to 5th cycles. The higher ability to decompose dyes and kill bacteria is due to the generation of reactive species, confirmed by the radical trapping experiments. The electrochemical measurements were revealed that the Cd4 sample has a higher specific capacitance of 500 F/ g− 1 at 10 mV/s scan rate, excellent energy density 72 Wh/Kg, and greater power density of 4800 W kg− 1 at a current density of 0.1 A/g. Furthermore, the properties of CdO can be tuned by co-doping for making it a useful material for photocatalyst, supercapacitors electrodes, and antibacterial applications.