The synergistic effect of g-C3N4/GO/CuFe2O4 for efficient sunlight-driven photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

Abstract

In recent years, the dyes discharged from various textile industries have been the main concern of water contamination. With increasing water scarcity problems, it is necessary to synthesize a low-cost, effective visible-light-driven photocatalyst for organic pollutant degradation. In the present study, g-C₃N₄/GO/CuFe₂O₄ (CGC) nanocomposite was fabricated successfully through an in situ hydrothermal method to degrade the methylene blue (MB) dye as a model pollutant. The as-synthesized nanocomposites were analyzed by FTIR, XRD, XPS, SEM/EDX, Zeta potential, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the novel ternary CGC composite was assessed under sunlight illumination. The impact of numerous photodegradation parameters like pH, photocatalyst dose, H₂O₂ amount, initial dye concentration (IDC), and contact time were examined. Ternary CGC exhibited higher degradation efficacy at an optimum value of pH (6), H₂O₂ amount (8 mM), photocatalyst dose (20 mg/100 mL), and IDC (10 ppm) leading to 99% MB degradation within 60 min. The CGC composite exhibited extraordinary photocatalytic performance as compared with those of g-C₃N₄/CuFe₂O₄ (CC) and GO/CuFe₂O₄ (GC) composites. It can be explained by the fact that CuFe₂O₄ coupled with g-C₃N₄ and GO results in the effective separation of photoinduced electron–hole pair which causes improved photodegradation efficacy. Furthermore, CGC composite displayed outstanding reusability and is easier to recover after degradation process, which is pertinent to practical application.