Synthesis of graphene-based Ag-doped CuFe2O4 composite for improved photocatalytic activity against industrial effluents

Abstract

Copper ferrite (CuFe2O4, CF) and silver-doped copper ferrite (Ag-CuFe2O4, ACF) were prepared via co-precipitation method. While nano-composite of ACF with rGO was prepared by ultra-sonication approach. Degradation of crystal violet (CV) and benzoic acid (BA) by CF, ACF, and ACF@rGO was conducted under sunlight. Because of tremendous stability and immense surface area of rGO, it shows good ability to transfer electrons during photocatalysis.Band gap for CF and ACF were tuned having values 1.36 and 1.67 eV. Ag-CuFe2O4@rGO has exhibited greater photo-catalytic activity than a bare and doped sample. 82.7% and 48.4% were degradation % of CV and BA by Ag-CuFe2O4@rGO respectively. Ag-CuFe2O4@rGO showed 1.3 times higher efficiency than bare CuFe2O4. ACF was sonicated with rGO and composite was formed which was not reported before and I was the novelty of this paper. The photodegradation ability and cyclic stability etc. was increased after the formation of composite.