Improved photocatalytic performance of magnetically recoverable Bi2Te3/CdS/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite for MB dye under visible light exposure

Abstract

In this work, we have developed a magnetically recoverable Bi2Te3/CdS/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite for the enhanced photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) dye. The Bi2Te3/CdS/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite was prepared via a simple wet impregnation method and characterized using a wide range of characterization techniques to analyze the structural, photophysical, and magnetic properties. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared nanomaterials was evaluated against the MB dye under visible light exposure. Among the as-prepared photocatalyst samples, the magnetically recoverable Bi2Te3/CdS/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite exhibited an excellent photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 97.15% against MB dye within 180 min time duration. The rate constant of the Bi2Te3/CdS/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite is almost 2.25, 2.60, and 3.36 times higher than that of Bi2Te3, CdS, and CuFe2O4 nanoparticles, respectively. The Bi2Te3/CdS/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite retained the effective photodegradation capability for five consecutive cycles. The ferromagnetic behavior of the Bi2Te3/CdS/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite was utilized for the easy recovery of the photocatalyst using an external bar magnet. The photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the generation of superoxide and hole radicals during MB dye degradation.