Visible light-driven photocatalytic rapid degradation of organic contaminants engaging manganese dioxide-incorporated iron oxide three dimensional nanoflowers

• Published in: Journal of colloid and interface science 2022-02, Vol.608 (Pt 3), p.2347-2357
• Main Authors: Rabani, Iqra, Bathula, Chinna, Zafar, Rabia, Shoaib Tahir, Muhammad, Park, Ye-Jee, Kim, Hyun-Seok, Naushad, Mu, Seo, Young-Soo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3D-flower like spherical structure; Ferric Compounds; Humans; Light; Manganese Compounds; Oxides; Photocatalysis activity; Wastewater treatment; α-MnO2-Fe3O4
• ISSN: 0021-9797; 1095-7103
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.10.149

[Display omitted] Water pollution via hazardous organic pollutants poses a high threat to the environment and globally imperils aquatic life and human health. Therefore, the elimination of toxic organic waste from water sources is vital to ensure a healthy green environment. In the current work, we synthesized α-MnO2-Fe3O4 3D-flower like structure using a two-step hydrothermal method and explored the combination in a visible-light-assisted photocatalytic degrdation of dyes. The attained high specific surface area of 82 m2/g with mesoporous nature of α-MnO2 and Fe3O4 together can generate more active sites after exposure to visible light, leading to remarkable photodegradation performance. Significantly, twofold higher dye (methylene blue, MB (94.8%/120 min; crystal violet, CV (93.7%/120 min)) and drug (LVO 91%/90 min) photodegradations were observed with α-MnO2-Fe3O4 as catalyst than pure α-MnO2 and Fe3O4 at pH 6, respectively. This is attributed to the higher surface area and synergistic effect between Mn and Fe. More than 85% stability was observed with optimized catalysts employing MB and CV dyes, demonstrating the excellent reusability of the α-MnO2-Fe3O4. The underlying mechanism indicates that the formation of reactive oxygen species predominantly plays a role in the photodegradation of dyes under visible light. Consequently, these new insights will shed light on the practical applications of the α-MnO2-Fe3O4 3D-flower-like spherical structure for eco-friendly remediation via wastewater treatment.