Synthesis of TCPP/ZnFe2O4@ZnO nanohollow sphere composite for degradation of methylene blue and 4-nitrophenol under visible light

Abstract

In this study, ZnFe2O4 nanohallow spheres were synthesized by hydrothermal method, then ZnFe2O4@ZnO core-shell was prepared by forming of ZnO nanoshell onto magnetic microspheres via sol–gel route. Finally, TCPP/ZnFe2O4@ZnO composite was synthesized through the immobilization of the meso-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin on ZnFe2O4@ZnO core-shell. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by different techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), vibration sample magnetometery (VSM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) model, UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The photocatalytic activity of prepared photocatalysts was evaluated for degradation of methylene blue, as an organic dye and 4-nitrophenol as an organic pollutant under visible LED light irradiation. The results illustrated that TCPP/ZnFe2O4@ZnO composite show better photodegradating behavior vs. methylene blue and 4-nitrophenol compared to ZnFe2O4@ZnO, pure ZnFe2O4 and pure ZnO.