Superparamagnetic Zinc Ferrite Nanoparticles as Visible-Light Active Photocatalyst for Efficient Degradation of Selected Textile Dye in Water

Abstract

Photocatalysis is a promising technology for the degradation of recalcitrant organic pollutants in water. In this study, superparamagnetic zinc ferrite nanoparticles (ZnFe2O4) were synthesized and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) of ZnFe2O4 were observed to have a photosensitive nature and showed characteristic visible-light-induced activation that was used for the photocatalytic degradation of a textile dye, Remazol brilliant violet 5R (RBV-5R). The effect of different operational parameters such as pH, H2O2, catalyst dosage, concentration of RBV-5R and the reusability of ZnFe2O4 as well as scavengers were investigated under visible irradiation. The almost complete degradation (99.9%) of RBV-5R was observed at pH 10, 0.1 g of ZnFe2O4 and 6 mM of H2O2 in 30 min. The photocatalytic degradation of RBV-5R followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The mineralization was calculated from total organic carbon (TOC) that was represented by 82% TOC removal in 30 min. The results revealed that visible-light-induced ZnFe2O4 photocatalysis may be a promising technology for the elimination of toxic organic dyes, such as RBV-5R, from water resources.

Editorial Catalysts: Catalysis for the Removal of Water Pollutants

“…Water is an essential resource for society, and it is necessary to guarantee its supply and quality. This is not simple, as only 0.6-0.9% of the water on the planet is easily accessible as ground and/or surface water [1,2]. However, the problem is not only the availability of water but also its pollution, which can affect human health and aqueous ecosystems [3]; thus, it is necessary to ensure that the properties of water are kept adequate, mainly when it is used for human consumption.…”