Magnetic Nanophotocatalyst Research Articles

Design of double Z-scheme Ag–Ag3O4/CuO–CuFe2O4 magnetic nanophotocatalyst via starch-templated microwave-combustion hybrid precipitation method and modified with corona-plasma: Remediation of dye contaminants

Herein, the novel double Z-scheme Ag–Ag3O4/CuO–CuFe2O4 magnetic nanophotocatalyst with nanosphere-on-nanosheet-like morphology was synthesized via the corona-plasma-assisted starch-templated microwave-combustion-precipitation method to remove the dye pollutants. The CuO–CuFe2O4 meso/macroporous nanophotocatalyst was synthesized using a one-pot-stage combustion-microwave process with/without starch as a hard-template. Subsequently, surface modification was carried out by DC corona-plasma discharge technology at various voltages, namely 500, 1000 and 1500 V. Then, the Ag3O4 photocatalyst was deposited on the CuO–CuFe2O4 fabricated with starch-hard-template and treated with 1000 V corona-plasma (denoted as: Ag–Ag3O4/CuO–CuFe2O4 (Starch) 1000 P). The properties of the synthesized nanophotocatalysts were analyzed using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BET-BJH), Vibrating Sample Manetometer (VSM), and Photoluminescence (PL). The XRD analysis corroborated the presence of CuO, CuFe2O4 and Ag3O4 in the structure of all samples. The BET-BJH analysis indicates that the specific surface area of the Ag–Ag3O4/CuO–CuFe2O4 (Starch) 1000 P nanophotocatalyst as the best sample is 2 m2/g, higher than other samples. Additionally, the DRS analysis revealed that the band gap of the Ag–Ag3O4/CuO–CuFe2O4 (Starch) 1000 P nanophotocatalyst is about 1.68 eV with the surface plasmon resonance. The performance of the ternary heterostructured Ag–Ag3O4/CuO–CuFe2O4 (Starch) 1000 P nanophotocatalyst was 96.2% and 89.1% in the degradation of the crystal violet (10 mg/L) and acid orange 7 (10 mg/L), respectively, proving its outstanding degradation capacity.

Green synthesis of AgCoFe2O4@Ch/AC as a recyclable, magnetic nanohybrid heterogeneous catalyst in photodegradation of ceftriaxone from aqueous solutions with effluent bioassay

Ceftriaxone (CFTR) is among the most commonly used antibiotics in the treatment of different types of bacterial infections and widespread pneumonias. It was also known as one of the most frequently prescribed antibiotics during the Corona pandemic. This drug has a longer half-life than other antibiotics. In this research, the heterogeneous magnetic nanophotocatalyst AgCoFe2O4@Chitosan(Ch)/activated carbon (AC) was synthesized by co-precipitation method under microwave waves. The catalyst structure was characterized by XRD, FTIR, FESEM, EDS, mapping, line scan, BET, VSM and DRS analyzers. Then, the effect of pH, CFTR concentration, nanophotocatalyst dose and irradiation time on the photocatalytic process efficiency was investigated. The analyses showed that the catalyst was synthesized on a nanometer scale, high surface area (60.044 m2/g), high magnetic strength (Ms = 10.39 emu/g) and appropriate optical activity with band gap (3.1 eV). The highest removal efficiency at pH = 3, CFTR concentration of 5 mg/L, dose of 0.24 g/L, and irradiation time of 60 min was obtained at 98.8% and 79.01% for synthetic and real wastewater samples, respectively. The reaction kinetics followed the pseudo-first-order and Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetic models with KC = 0.23 mg/L min and KL−H = 0.168 L/mg. The recovered catalyst was able to remove CFTR with an efficiency of 80.16% after 4 reuse cycles. The results of scavenger radical tests showed that the main active radical species was ^{ cdot } {text{OH}}. The obtained results from the effluent toxicity on the germination index of lettuce, watercress, radish and tomato seeds showed a significant reduction in the environmental hazards of the effluent. Due to the high efficiency, this nanophotocatalyst can be used for the treatment of pharmaceutical and hospital wastewaters, and the effluent has the least toxicity for the environment.

Biosynthesis of novel NiFe12O19-X (X = ZnO and TiO2) magnetic nanophotocatalyst toward the degradation pharmaceutical ceftriaxone sodium from aqueous solution under sunlight irradiation and antibacterial activity

Since antibiotics are used in various sciences, the occurrence of antibiotics in the water environments has drawn significant concerns in recent years. In this study, novel NiFe 12 O 19 coupled ZnO and TiO 2 (NiFe 12 O 19 -X; X = ZnO and TiO 2 ) were synthesized via a green route, and their photocatalytic properties were assessed. Crataegus microphylla fruit extract was used as a natural capping agent to obtain regular and homogeneous products. The as-synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by various analyzes, including TEM, EDS, DRS, FT-IR, XRD, FESEM, and VSM. The analysis confirmed that the biosynthesized nanocomposites had spherical and oval-like morphologies, with a crystallite size of about 50–70 nm, narrow bandgap, and super paramagnetic properties. Band-gap calculated using UV-DRS (2.95 eV and 3.03 eV) shows that NiFe 12 O 19 –ZnO and NiFe 12 O19–TiO 2 are good candidate for photocatalytic degradation. Ceftriaxone sodium (CFX) as the model contaminant was tested to assess the photocatalytic performance of the biosynthesized magnetic nanocomposite under UV and sunlight irradiations. The effect of critical parameters including nanocatalyst dose (0.08, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 g/L), pH (5, 7, and 10), CFX initial concentration (10, 25, 50, and 100 mg/L), and light source (UV and sunlight) were studied to achieve the optimum degradation of ceftriaxone sodium. Under optimum conditions, the biosynthesized NiFe 12 O 19 –ZnO and NiFe 12 O 19 –TiO 2 photocatalyst revealed excellent performance in the degradation of the CFX compound with an evaluated efficiency of 98.47% and 95.45% under UV irradiation, respectively. Also, the percentage of antibiotic degradation for these materials was 79.15% and 76.62%, respectively, under sunlight irradiation. Furthermore, the antibacterial characteristic features of the prepared nanocomposite against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were satisfactory. After careful examination of the results and diagrams, the suggested NiFe 12 O 19 -X (X = ZnO and TiO 2 ) nanocomposites might be applied in a water treatment plant to eliminate the danger of pharmaceutical waste in the aqueous medium.

Facile Synthesis of L-Tryptophan Functionalized Magnetic Nanophotocatalyst Supported by Copper Nanoparticles for Selective Reduction of Organic Pollutants and Degradation of Azo Dyes

Facile Synthesis of L-Tryptophan Functionalized Magnetic Nanophotocatalyst Supported by Copper Nanoparticles for Selective Reduction of Organic Pollutants and Degradation of Azo Dyes

Green synthesis of Ni0.5Zn0.5AlFeO4 nanoparticles using Plantago major and photocatalytic degradation of reactive blue 21 dye under visible light irradiation

• Environment friendly synthesis of Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 AlFeO 4 magnetic nanoparticles using Plantago major extract. • High photodegradation efficiency of Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 AlFeO 4 magnetic nanoparticles for removing of RB 21dye. • Recycling of Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 AlFeO 4 magnetic nano photocatalyst for removing of RB 21dye. The Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 AlFeO 4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized using Plantago major seed extract via an environmentally friendly, efficient, low-cost, and simple process. The nanoparticles were characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDS, TEM, VSM, DRS, DLS, zeta potential analysis, and BET surface area analysis. The Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 AlFeO 4 MNPs were examined as a catalyst for photodegradation of reactive blue 21 (RB 21). The results illustrated that the MNPs were efficient for the photodegradation of RB 21. The catalyst eliminated about 92% of RB 21 after 40 min (30 mg of catalyst dosage at a concentration of 20 ppm for RB 21). The band gap of Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 AlFeO 4 MNPs computed by DRS was 1 eV. The XRD analysis showed a cubic spinel structure without any impurity phases with a crystallite size of about 10 nm. The zeta potential analysis and DLS indicated some agglomerations in the solvent. The hot filtration test showed that the reaction was heterogeneous. The kinetics for photodegradation of RB 21 on Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 AlFeO 4 MNPs follow the first-order kinetics model.

Development of highly efficient magnetically recyclable Cu2+/Cu0 nano-photocatalyst and its enhanced catalytic performance for the degradation of organic contaminations

This work reports the successful functionalization of l-proline on the surface of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) synthesized via a simple, cost-effective hydrothermal method. Moreover, the chemical attachment of Cu2+/Cu0 nanoparticles on the surface of SPION@l-proline was done by an in-situ deposition method. The developed nano-photocatalyst was characterized in detail by XRD, FT-IR, XPS, FE-SEM, TEM, EDX, BET, TGA, and VSM. XRD of SPION@l-proline-Cu reveals peaks of both SPION and copper nanoparticles which confirms the formation of nanophotocatalyst. TGA demonstrates a major weight loss between 250 and 310 °C due to l-proline which ensures the successful immobilization of SPION on the surface of l-proline. The band energy at 932 eV suggests a complete reduction of Cu2+ ion to Cu0 metal on the surface of SPION@l-proline nanocomposite as confirmed by the XPS technique. Under UV light irradiation, the photocatalytic reduction performance of the developed Cu2+ metal ion-based and Cu0 nanoparticle-based magnetic nano-photocatalysts was demonstrated and compared for the first time for the photocatalytic reduction of 4-NP, 4-NA, NB, MO, MB, and CR. The results show that Cu0-based magnetic nanophotocatalyst has slightly enhanced catalytic activity. Furthermore, solar-driven photocatalytic degradation of CR azo dye by synthesized nano-photocatalyst was also investigated, with a 95 % degradation efficiency in just 40 min. The developed magnetic nano-photocatalyst can easily be separated by using an external magnet due to the superparamagnetic nature of core material (SPION) at room temperature as confirmed from VSM and can be reused for multiple cycles without losing considerable catalytic activity. Because of its high photocatalytic efficiency, cost-effectiveness, good magnetic separation performance, non-toxicity, and strong thermal and chemical stabilities, Cu2+/Cu0-based magnetic nano-photocatalyst has potential application in wastewater treatment.

Novel MgFe2O4-CuO/GO heterojunction magnetic nanocomposite: Synthesis, characterization, and batch photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye

Methylene blue (MB) utilized in chemical industries and research laboratories, produces a considerable amount of wastewater and causes water pollution even at low concentration. In the present work, novel low bandgap MgFe2O4-CuO/graphene oxide nanocomposite was used as a heterojunction magnetic nanophotocatalyst to photodegrade MB in simulated wastewater. The photocatalyst was synthesized via a microwave-ultrasonic route and characterized by a group of spectroscopic techniques. The synthesized photocatalyst had a specific surface area of 96.12 m2 g−1, pore volume of 0.0521 cm3 g−1, and pore diameter of 2.90 nm. Batch photocatalytic degradation of MB dye was performed at 25 °C under ambient sunlight, and carefully optimized to obtain maximum photodegradation efficiency. Under optimal conditions, the synthesized photocatalyst demonstrated superior degradation efficiency reaching 98.8% within 27 min. Recyclability studies showed that the synthesized photocatalyst had a very good stability and reusability up to four cycles.

Photodegradation of reactive blue 19 dye using magnetic nanophotocatalyst α-Fe2O3/WO3: A comparison study of α-Fe2O3/WO3 and WO3/NaOH

The photocatalytic degradation of reactive blue 19 (RB19) dye was investigated in a slurry system using ultraviolet (UV) and light-emitting diode (LED) lamps as light sources and using magnetic tungsten trioxide nanophotocatalysts (α-Fe2O3/WO3 and WO3/NaOH) as photocatalysts. The effects of different parameters including irradiation time, initial concentration of RB19, nanophotocatalyst dosage, and pH were examined. The magnetic nanophotocatalysts were also characterized with different methods including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), differential reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The XRD and FTIR analyses confirmed the presence of tungsten trioxide on the iron oxide nanoparticles. The VSM analysis confirmed the magnetic ability of the new synthesized nanophotocatalyst α-Fe2O3/WO3 with 39.6 emu/g of saturation magnetization. The reactor performance showed considerable improvement in the α-Fe2O3-modified nanophotocatalyst. The impact of visible light was specifically investigated, and it was compared with UV-C light under the same experimental conditions. The reusability of the magnetic nanophotocatalyst α-Fe2O3/WO3 was tested during six cycles, and the magnetic materials showed an excellent removal efficiency after six cycles, with just a 7% decline.

Development of highly active, chemically stable and recyclable magnetic nanophotocatalyst based on plasmonic silver nanoparticles and photosensitive trans‐3‐(trans‐4‐imidazolyl) acrylic acid molecules

This study relates to the preparation of a novel nanophotocatalyst comprising of plasmonic silver nanoparticle, photosensitive trans‐3‐(trans‐4‐imidazolyl) acrylic acid (T3TTIA) and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION). This heterogeneous nano‐photocatalyst has been synthesized via hydrothermal route where T3TTIA works as a capping agent and linker for SPION and plasmonic Ag NPs, respectively. Structural, morphological, thermal, magnetic, optical, and catalytic properties have been analyzed in detailed. The spinel cubic type structure of nanocrystals of SPION and silver has been confirmed by XRD analysis. XPS analysis has confirmed the presence of Ag0, Fe3O4, and integral functional group. The strong chemical interaction of localized surface plasmonic Ag nanoparticles and SPION with photosensitive T3TIAA molecule has been revealed by both the IR and XPS analysis. The shape of the final products has been observed as spherical with average particle size of 12 ±0.8 nm (with low degree of agglomeration) as analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HR‐TEM). The superparamagnetic nature and high thermal stability of the products have been revealed by vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, respectively. UV‐visible spectrophotometry analysis has confirmed the maximum absorbance peak at ~420 nm, indicates as the characteristic peak of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for silver nanoparticles with a band gap value of 1.43 eV. Furthermore, Brunauer−Emmett−Teller (BET) analysis has demonstrated mesoporous characteristic of the product which follows type IV isotherms with the average surface area and pore size as 250.492 m2/g and 6.1442 nm, respectively. The potential catalytic applications of the as‐prepared nanocatalysts have been explored for the decolorization of methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB), and photo‐reduction of 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP) under both Visible and UV light irradiations. The catalytic activity of the as‐prepared nanocatalyst has been compared with the recent reported magnetic nano‐catalysts. The SPION@T3TIAA‐Ag nanocatalyst has shown excellent catalytic behavior toward the treatment of the selected industrial dyes and organic pollutant with recovery and reusability capacity up to seven cycles without losing significant catalytic efficiency.

Visible‐Light‐Driven Photocatalytic Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling Reaction Using Novel Retrievable Magnetic Photocatalyst

AbstractA new complex based on palladium (Fe3O4@SiO2@TiO2@Schiff base@Pd(0)) as a multifunctional photocatalyst has been successfully prepared using a facile method. Different techniques such as X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), energy dispersive spectrum (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were applied for characterization of nano photocatalyst structure. The magnetic nano photocatalyst showed excellent catalytic activity in the Suzuki coupling reaction under visible light irradiation. This core‐shell magnetic nano photocatalyst could separate using a magnetic field from the reaction mixture and reused without a significant decrease in catalytic activity.

Mg0.5NixZn0.5-xFe2O4 spinel as a sustainable magnetic nano-photocatalyst with dopant driven band shifting and reduced recombination for visible and solar degradation of Reactive Blue-19

Focussing on visible light active ferrites for high performance removal of noxious pollutants, we report the synthesis of Mg0.5NixZn0.5-xFe2O4 (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, & 0.5) ferrite nanoparticle for degradation of reactive blue-19 (RB-19). Lattice parameters calculated using intense X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks and Nelson-Riley plots (N-R plot) are in well agreement with each other. The sample Mg0.5Ni0.4Zn0.1Fe2O4 (M5N4) exhibits best performance with 99.5% RB-19 degradation in 90 min under visible light. Photoluminescence (PL) results confirm that recombination of charge carriers is highly reduced in the photocatalyst. Scavenging experiments suggest that O2− radicals were the dominant species responsible for photocatalytic performance. The photocatalytic mechanism was explained in terms of dopant driven shifting of conduction bands and valence bands (calculated by Mott-Schottky plots). The thermodynamic probability of radical generation along with role of redox cycles of metal ions has been discussed in the mechanism. The dye degradation was ascertained by detection of intermediates via mass spectrometry analysis and a possible degradation route was also predicted. The findings in this work provide intriguing opportunities to modify the electronic band structure of spinel ferrites for visible and solar light photocatalytic activity for environmental detoxification.

Visibly Active FeO/ZnO@PANI Magnetic Nano-photocatalyst for the Degradation of 3-Aminophenol

The water management sector is becoming extremely challenging these days because of poor water quality which is due to the presence of noxious pollutants at an alarming level. Herein, we report the synthesis of FeO/ZnO magnetic metal oxide (FZ MMO) and its nanocomposite with polyaniline (FZP). Designed photocatalyst has been characterized by various techniques such as X-Ray diffractometer (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR). Bandgap values as determined using Tauc plots has been found to be 2.46 and 1.80 eV for FZ MMO and FZP, respectively. Photocatalytic activity of FZ MMO and FZP under visible light irradiations has been studied for degradation of 3-aminophenol. The influence of adsorption on the degradation rate has also been studied. 92% of 3-aminophenol present in the solution was removed in 120 min using FZP under visible light. Thus present study gives a deep insight for the designing of highly photocatalytic and reusable photocatalyst that can be utilized for the removal of various pollutants from the water system.

Functionalization of Fe3O4/TiO2/BiOCl nanocomposites using Sargassum crassifolium extract as magnetic nanophotocatalyst for cadmium sequestration

We report on the synthesis of Fe3O4/TiO2/BiOCl nanocomposites using Sargassum crassifolium extract as magnetic nanophotocatalyst for cadmium sequestration. Utilization of nanotechnology via surface engineering and functionalization has been considered for heavy metals sequestration. In this work, we are going to synthesize Fe3O4/TiO2/BiOCl nanocomposites via green synthesis for cadmium heavy metal sequestration on wastewater. Synthesis of nanocomposites includes the fabrication of functionalized Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles using Sargassum crassifolium extract followed by the fabrication of TiO2 and finally capped with BiOCl to complete the Fe3O4/TiO2/BiOCl nanocomposites. Experimental results revealed that successful green synthesis of magnetic Fe3O4 via was observed in the Fast Fourier transform infrared spectra with the presence of Fe-O vibrations at 580 cm−1. In addition, the band around 1000 cm−1 was observed suggesting the TiO2 was successfully formed the peak around 1155 cm−1 can be attributed to Bi-Cl bond for the formation of BiOCl. Moreover, the presence of 370 nm peak in the ultraviolet-visible spectra suggests that Fe3O4/TiO2/BiOCl nanocomposites were successfully synthesized. Varied amount of cadmium on wastewater was efficiently sequestered via photocatalysis with an efficiency of about 83%. This straight forward green synthesis of Fe3O4/TiO2/BiOCl nanocomposites is a potential photocatalysts for cadmium sequestration.

Facile Synthesis and Characterization of Magnetic Nanophotocatalyst for Photocatalytic Degradation of Cyanide

This paper reports on the synthesis and application of Fe3O4/TiO2 nanocomposite. In situ attachment of TiO2 coating to the surface of the magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) was attained by direct condensation of titanium precursors. Characterization result suggests that the average particle size of the synthesized nanocomposite is 10-15 nm. Also, FT-IR result confirms the presence of TiO2 layer in the surface of the magnetic nanoparticles. Furthermore, the prepared Fe3O4/TiO2 nanocomposite was utilized as an active magnetic nanophotocatalyst for the degradation of cyanide. Results show that even at 5.0 mg of Fe3O4/TiO2 photocatalyst, higher cyanide removal efficiency (91%) was obtained when 60 ppm CN- was incubated with the photocatalyst for 30 minutes. Likewise, it has been demonstrated that the synthesized magnetic nanophotocatalyst can be used to degrade cyanide using sunlight as the natural light source. A 94% cyanide removal efficiency was obtained when the sample was incubated with the synthesized magnetic nanophotocatalyst for 120 minutes under sunlight irradiation. Importantly, the prepared magnetic photocatalyst can be re-used several times (up to 5 cycles) without significant changes in the cyanide removal efficiency.

Facile and green synthesis of ZnFe2O4@CMC as a new magnetic nanophotocatalyst for ciprofloxacin degradation from aqueous media

As an antibacterial agent, ciprofloxacin is an antibiotic which is widely used to treat infections. It is mostly excreted in the non-metabolized form and, finally, enters water through the discharge of sewage and wastewater. The aim of this research is to synthesize ZnFe2O4@CMC and study its efficiency in the removal of CIP during the photocatalytic process. We successfully synthesized the ZnFe2O4@CMC nanobiocomposite by the hydrothermal method. The prepared photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectroscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) technique, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-DRS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and mapping. The photocatalytic activity of ZnFe2O4@CMC was evaluated by investigating the effect of reaction time (20–120min), initial CIP concentration (5–30mg/L), pH (3–11), photocatalyst dosage (0.1–0.5g), degradation kinetic and TOC removal parameters in the removal of CIP. The optimum conditions for the maximum removal efficiency in the synthetic (87%) and real (79%) samples were pH=7, initial CIP concentration =5mg/L, photocatalyst =0.3g and irradiation time =100min. The removal efficiency of TOC by the photocatalytic process was reported 75% in the optimal condition. The kinetic studies showed that the photocatalytic degradation of CIP followed the pseudo-first order kinetic and Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation. The new magnetic ZnFe2O4@CMC nanobiocomposite demonstrated good chemical stability and reusability after five runs. This work introduced a new magnetic nanocomposite and also provided a new idea for the removal of antibiotics from aqueous media.

Uptake and toxicity studies of magnetic TiO2-Based nanophotocatalyst in Arabidopsis thaliana

Information on the environmental impact of magnetic TiO2-based nanophotocatalysts is scarce. This study evaluated the potential effects of an innovative magnetic nanophotocatalyst N-TiO2/Fe3O4@SiO2 (NTFS) on plants using Arabidopsis thaliana grown in a hydroponic system. NTFS was detected in the vascular tissues and mesophyll of plants, thus confirming the uptake and upwards transport of NTFS from roots to leaves. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was applied to determine compositional and structural alterations in plant tissues exposed to NTFS, or its two main components (N-TiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2), at concentrations ranging from 0 to 1000 mg/L, but no changes were detected in the lipids, pectins, proteins, cellulose, hemicellulose, and carbohydrates. The morphology and biomass of the plants were not affected by the NTFS or its components either. Biosensors for inorganic phosphate (Pi) and MgATP2− were used to monitor the in vivo Pi and MgATP2− levels in the plant cells. The results showed that NTFS and its components did not induce any adverse effects on the cytosolic Pi level or ATP synthesis, indicating the energy physiology of Arabidopsis was unaffected. In general, NTFS has inconsequential toxic effects on Arabidopsis, but can be taken up by plants, enter the food chain, and cause potential exposure and bioaccumulation in animals and human beings.

A facile and green method for synthesis of ZnFe2O4@CMC as a new magnetic nanophotocatalyst for ciprofloxacin removal from aqueous media

This study aimed to synthesize a ZnFe2O4@carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) nanophotocatalyst using a simple, facile, and green hydrothermal method for ciprofloxacin (CIP) removal from aqueous solutions. At first, ZnFe2O4@CMC was synthesized using the hydrothermal method, and then it was characterized. To assay the photocatalytic activity of ZnFe2O4@CMC, its ability was investigated in CIP and total organic carbon (TOC) removal by considering the effect of some variables such as initial CIP concentrations (5–30 mg/L), pH (3–11), nanophotocatalyst loading (0.1–0.5 g), and reaction time (20–120 min). The kinetic performance of the process was assessed by the pseudo-first order and Langmuir-Hinshelwood models. The concentration of CIP and TOC in the samples was determined using high performance liquid chromatography and a TOC analyzer, respectively. The influence of competitive compounds was examined on the efficiency of the nanophotocatalyst through its application for a real wastewater sample. Moreover, the reusability and chemical stability of ZnFe2O4@CMC were studied.Advantages of this technique are as follows:•ZnFe2O4@CMC as a high potent magnetically separable photocatalyst is designed by a green, simple, and fast hydrothermal method.•ZnFe2O4@CMC displays significant photocatalytic activity in photocatalytic degradation processes for ciprofloxacin removal.•ZnFe2O4@CMC exhibits good chemical stability and reusability.

Central composite design (CCD) optimized synthesis of Fe3O4@SiO2@AgCl/Ag/Ag2S as a novel magnetic nano-photocatalyst for catalytic degradation of organic pollutants

In this study, we formulated and synthesized an efficient visible light-active magnetic nano-photocatalyst, Fe3O4@SiO2@AgCl/Ag/Ag2S, to decompose methyl orange (MO) as a model organic pollutant. XRD, SEM, TEM, EDS, DRS, and VSM analyses were used to characterize the developed magnetic nano-photocatalyst. Moreover, central composite design (CCD) modeling, which is based on response surface methodology (RSM) modeling, is utilized to optimize the synthetic and operating conditions to maximize the photocataytic performance. The CCD-optimized values for molar ratio of AgCl to Fe3O4, molar ratio of Ag2S to Fe3O4, and the photocatalyst dosage are found to be 0.8, 0.27, and 1.27 g/L, respectively. The developed Fe3O4@SiO2@AgCl/Ag/Ag2S nano-photocatalyst shows a superior photocatalytic activity in decomposition of MO, degrading around 90% and 99% of MO in 30 min and one hour, respectively, under visible light illumination, at which the predicted values are in a good agreement with the experimental values (R2 = 0.971 and Adj-R2 = 0.945). Meanwhile, the morphological, physicochemical, and magnetic properties of the developed nano-photocatalyst are largely retained over ten successive cycles of photocatalytic reactions, and no significant decline in the photocatalytic activity is observed.

Preparation of Fe3O4@SiO2@BiO1.8·0.04H2O/Ag3PO4 magnetic nanocomposite and its photocatalytic performance

Fe3O4@SiO2@BiO1.8·0.04H2O/Ag3PO4 (FSBAP) magnetic nanocomposite was prepared and its photocatalytic performance was also investigated with Rhodamine B (RhB) as a simulated substrate. The nanocomposite was characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM, EDS, UV–Vis DRS, FTIR, and so on. The bandgap energy (Eg) was 2.15 eV which demonstrated that the nanocomposite had photocatalytic performance under the visible light. The degradation rate of 250 mL RhB solution (10 mg/L) was 93% with 1.00 g/L FSBAP catalyst under the visible light for 2 h. The magnetic nanocomposite can be easily separated from the solution using a permanent magnet. FSBAP nanocomposite showed the better reusability and the degradation rates achieved 79% after 5 runs. In addition, trapping experiment demonstrated that h+ played a principal part in photocatalytic reaction. Detailed mechanism was also discussed in terms of trapping experiment and bandgap energy theory. The work suggested that the magnetic nanophotocatalyst FSBAP could be a more efficient photocatalyst under visible light.

Hierarchical Fe3O4@MoS2/Ag3PO4 magnetic nanocomposites: Enhanced and stable photocatalytic performance for water purification under visible light irradiation

Novel hierarchical Fe3O4@MoS2/Ag3PO4 magnetic nanophotocatalyst with remarkable photocatalytic capability were prepared by simply depositing the Ag3PO4 onto the surface of crumpled Fe3O4@MoS2 nanosphere. The nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, TEM, HRTEM, XPS, BET, and UV–vis DRS. The outcome of the photocatalytic experiments demonstrated that Fe3O4@MoS2/Ag3PO4 with 6wt% content of Ag3PO4 (FM/A-6%) showed the highest photocatalytic activity upon the degradation Congo red (CR) and Rhodamine B (RhB) under both visible light and simulated sunlight irradiation. In addition, FM/A-6% possessed larger specific surface area (76.56m2/g) and excellent optical property. The possible Z-scheme charge carriers transfer mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic properties of the FM/A-6% was also discussed. The Z-scheme charge carriers transfer mechanism established between MoS2 and Ag3PO4 facilitate the charge separation efficiency. Moreover, FM/A-6% can be separated and collected easily by external magnetic field and maintain high activity after five times photoreaction cycles. Given the remarkable photocatalytic performance and high stability of FM/A-6% nanocomposite, it is looking forward to exhibit great potential for applications in water purification.