MIL-101(Cr)-cobalt ferrite magnetic nanocomposite: synthesis, characterization and applications for the sonocatalytic degradation of organic dye pollutants

Abstract

In this study, for the first time, a novel magnetically recyclable MIL-101(Cr)/CoFe2O4nanocomposite was preparedviaa facile solvothermal method. The morphology, structural, magnetic and optical properties of the nanocomposite were characterizedviafield emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-visible) and BET surface area analysis. Furthermore, the sonocatalytic activity of the MIL-101(Cr)-based magnetic nanocomposite was explored for the degradation of organic dye pollutants such as Rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) under ultrasound irradiation in the presence of H2O2. Under optimized conditions, the degradation efficiency reached 96% for RhB and 88% for MO. The sonocatalytic activity of MIL-101(Cr)/CoFe2O4was almost 12 and 4 times higher than that of the raw MIL-101(Cr) and pure CoFe2O4, respectively. The improved sonocatalytic performance of the as-prepared binary nanocomposite can be attributed to the relatively high specific surface area of MIL-101(Cr) and magnetic property of CoFe2O4, as well as the fast generation and separation of charge carriers (electrons and holes) in MIL-101(Cr) and CoFe2O4. In addition, the trapping tests demonstrated that ·OH radicals are the main active species in the dye degradation process. Moreover, the most influencing factors on the sonocatalytic activity such as the H2O2amount, initial dye concentration and catalyst dosage were investigated. Finally, the nanocomposite was magnetically separated and reused without any observable change in its structure and performance even after four consecutive runs.