AgI coupled SiO2@CuFe2O4 novel photocatalytic nano-material for photo-degradation of organic dyes

Abstract

S-scheme-based hydrothermal synthesis of SiO2@CuFe2O4-AgI composites was effectively described in this work. The photo-degradation of hazardous dyes like methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) was utilized to test nanocomposites with variable weight percent of AgI for photocatalytic activity in the visible range. In terms of photocatalytic activity, SiO2@CuFe2O4-AgI with a 15% AgI loading beat both pure and hybrid composites. In terms of MO degradation, the hybrid composite with 15% AgI loading degrades 16 times and 8 times faster than pristine CuFe2O4 and AgI samples, respectively, while in terms of MB degradation, it degrades 18.67 times faster and 9.33 times faster than pristine samples. The increased surface area decreased the recombination rate of photogenerated e− -h+ pairs, quicker separation of photogenerated carriers, and high redox capacity of SiO2@CuFe2O4-AgI (15%) all contribute to improved photocatalytic performance. The hybrid composite is chemically stable and reusable even after 10 cycles. Because of the coordinated Fermi level between CuFe2O4 and AgI, SiO2 acts as a transfer bridge for electrons in a layered structure. Furthermore, the scavenger experiment demonstrates that •O2-, •OH, and h+ are significant reactive species that efficiently aided the photodegradation of dyes. Current research proposes a novel and cost-efficient method for creating a stable semiconductor-based photocatalytic system and a viable strategy for future applications.

Keywords

• AgI
• CuFe2O4
• SiO2
• S-scheme mechanism
• Dye degradation