Green Magnetic Nanoparticles CoFe2O4@Nb5O2 Applied in Paracetamol Removal

Abstract

This study describes the synthesis of an innovative nanomaterial (patent application number BR 1020210000317) composed of cobalt ferrite functionalized in niobium pentoxide CoFe2O4@Nb5O2 (CFNb), synthesized via green synthesis using tangerine peel extract. The material emphasizes the combination of a magnetic material (which allows for easy recovery after application) with niobium pentoxide (a metal which is abundant in Brazil). CFNb was applied as a catalyst for the paracetamol (PCT) degradation by photocatalysis. The new materials were characterized through surface and pore analysis (SBET, SEXT, Smic, Vmic, and VTOTAL), photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS), zero charge point (pHPZC, scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The reaction parameters studied included pH and catalyst concentration. The results indicated that the CFNb nanocatalysts were efficient in the paracetamol degradation, presenting better results in conditions of low pH (close to 2) and low catalyst concentration under irradiation of the 250 W mercury vapor lamp (greater than 28 mW·cm−2) at 60 min of reaction.