(193d) Facile Hydrothermal Synthesis of Ferrites and Ferrite/Graphene Nanocomposites for the Catalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Water | AIChE

(193d) Facile Hydrothermal Synthesis of Ferrites and Ferrite/Graphene Nanocomposites for the Catalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Water

Authors 

Baynosa, M. L. - Presenter, University of the Philippines Diliman
Shim, J. J., Yeungnam University
Mady, A. H., Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute
Ferrites and ferrite/graphene nanocomposites have been attracting considerable attention in the area of environmental remediation. This study highlights the synthesis and characterization of ferrites and and their composites with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and their application in the photocatalytic and catalytic degradation of organic compounds in water, specifically methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) dyes and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH). The magnetically separable ferrite nanoparticles (NPs) and their composites with rGO were prepared in TeflonTM-lined autoclave reactors using a simple hydrothermal method. The samples were characterized using FE-SEM, BET, FTIR, XRD, and XPS. Photocatalytic and catalytic degradation studies of the dyes and TCH were conducted using the synthesized samples. The ZnFe2O4/rGO nanocomposite exhibited good photocatalytic activity and stability for the degradation of methylene blue under simulated solar light radiation. This result can be attributed to the synergistic interactions between the ZnFe2O4 NPs and graphene sheets. The CoFe2O4 NPs and CoFe2O4/rGO nanocomposite showed excellent removal of RhB and TCH via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation to produce sulfate radicals. The synthesized ZnxCo1–xFe2O4 nanoparticles proved more efficient in activating PMS and degrading RhB dye than the pure ZnFe2O4 NPs, pure CoFe2O4 NPs, or their physical mixture. Possible mechanisms for the degradation of the organic compounds using the ferrites and composites were proposed. The facile hydrothermal synthesis process used in this study could be used in the synthesis of other new materials. In addition, the synthesis method could possibly be applied to large-scale processes because of its simple-to-follow and environment-friendly nature.