Hydrothermal synthesis of reduced graphene oxide-CoFe2O4 heteroarchitecture for high visible light photocatalytic activity: Exploration of efficiency, stability and mechanistic pathways

Abstract

RGO-CoFe2O4 heterostructure nanocomposite was prepared by hydrothermal method and was characterized by various analytical techniques such as Powder X-ray Diffraction method (PXRD), UV–vis absorbance, Photoluminescence (PL), Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) spectroscopic techniques, BET surface area measurements, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Raman Spectroscopy and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). The results confirmed the formation of hybrid structure with CoFe2O4 particles embedded in RGO sheets. Photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites was probed for the degradation of 4-Chlorophenol (4-CP) as the model compound under the visible light illumination. The photocatalytic activity decreases in the following order RGO-CoFe2O4>CoFe2O4>RGO. Further the activity of RGO-CoFe2O4 composite was explored in the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) as an oxidant. LUMO of PMS can accommodate photogenerated electrons, thereby suppresses the recombination process. The enhanced activity of RGO-CoFe2O4 hybrid is compared to its individual counterparts and the higher activity is accounted to its unique electronic structure. RGO serves as electron acceptor from CoFe2O4 and electron donor to the oxygen molecule. During the photocatalysis, transformation of the native structure from normal spinel to inverse spinel and vice versa may take place continuously from the process of electron trapping and detrapping by Fe3+ and Co2+ions. The observed continuous absorption for RGO-CoFe2O4 composite in the UV–vis spectra implies active d–d transitions involving transition metals present in the nanocomposite.