Development and application of multifunctional Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2/Cu nanocomposites for sustainable water treatment

Abstract

This investigation entailed the synthesis of Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2 via the sol-gel technique, and the Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2/Cu nanocomposite utilizing Cu(NO3)2.3H2O through the photodeposition approach. Subsequent to synthesis, these specimens underwent comprehensive characterization employing an array of analytical techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDS), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The focal point of this study was the assessment of the catalytic proficiency of both Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2 and Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2/Cu magnetically responsive nanocatalysts in facilitating the degradation of Reactive Methylene Blue (MB) under ultraviolet irradiation at ambient temperature. A notable attribute of these magnetic nanocomposites is their capacity for complete recovery, enabled by the application of an external magnetic field, thereby demonstrating significant potential for practical applications in environmental remediation.