Synthesis of magnetic Cu/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite as a highly efficient Fenton-like catalyst for methylene blue degradation

Abstract

A magnetic Cu/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite was synthesized by a facile one-pot solvothermal method and characterized as an excellent Fenton-like catalyst for methylene blue (MB) degradation. The content of zero-valent copper (Cu0) in Cu/CuFe2O4 composite could be simply controlled by changing the dosage of sodium acetate in the synthetic process, and the Fenton-like catalytic performance of Cu/CuFe2O4 composite enhanced with increasing the Cu0 content. In the presence of H2O2 (15 mM), the as-synthesized 3-Cu/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite could remove 99% of MB (50 mg/L) after only 4 min at pH 2.50, greatly higher than that of pure CuFe2O4 and Cu0 under the same condition. The enhancement activity of Cu/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite was due to the synergistic effect between Cu0 and CuFe2O4. The radical capture experiments and coumarin fluorescent probe technique confirmed that MB was degraded mainly by the attack of OH· radicals in Cu/CuFe2O4–H2O2 system.