Newly developed Fe3O4-Cr2O3 magnetic nanocomposite for photocatalytic decomposition of 4-chlorophenol in water

摘要

Chlorophenols, typically 4-chlorophenols are highly toxic and non-biodegradable organic contaminants which pose serious threat to the environment, particularly when released into aqueous medium. The removal of these pollutants by efficient method has received worldwide concern in recent past. A new Fe3O4-Cr2O3 magnetic nanocomposite was synthesized by wet chemical method under ultrasonic irradiation. Microstructure and morphology of the nanocomposite were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Magnetic and optical properties were studied by a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and an ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer respectively. The magnetic nanocomposite (MNC) was used as photocatalyst for effective decomposition of 4-chlorophenol in water under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. (C) 2015 The Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V.