Excellent Catalytic Performances of Embedded CoFe2O4 and TiO2 Nanoparticles on the Surface of Silica Matrix Toward Reduction of Toxic Cr (VI), Dyes, and Nitroaromatic Compounds

Abstract

ABSTRACTA novel TiO2/CoFe2O4/SiO2 magnetic nanocomposite was successfully synthesized using sol–gel and hydrothermal methods. This nanocomposite consists of highly dispersed CoFe2O4 and TiO2 nanoparticles on the surface of the SiO2 matrix. The synthesis process involved the utilization of activated carbon, which played a dual role as a support for depositing the CoFe2O4 and TiO2 nanoparticles and as a rigid pattern for producing the silica matrix that enmeshed the nanoparticles. To study the unique characteristics of the samples, a range of analytical techniques, such as FT‐IR, VSM, XRD, SEM, N2 adsorption–desorption analysis, BET and EDX were employed. We carried out a complete examination of the catalytic performance of the TiO2/CoFe2O4/SiO2 nanocomposite for the reduction of different substances, including methyl orange (MO), safranin O (SO), methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RhB), chromium (VI) ions, and nitroaromatic compounds such as 2‐nitrophenol (2‐NP), 4‐nitroaniline (4‐NA), 2‐nitroaniline (2‐NA), and 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP). The findings of our study demonstrate the remarkable efficacy of the TiO2/CoFe2O4/SiO2 nanocomposite in efficiently reducing dyes, Cr (VI), and nitroaromatic compounds to their desired forms in environmentally friendly aqueous solutions. Notably, the nanocomposite stands out due to its simple synthesis process, effortless recyclability, and its convenient separation by a magnet.