Synthesis of magnetically separable Ag3PO4/ZnFe2O4 composite photocatalysts for dye degradation under visible LED light irradiation

• Magnetic Ag3PO4/ZnFe2O4 photocatalyst was prepared by a facile two-step synthesis method.
• Ag3PO4/ZnFe2O4 shows a high photocatalytic efficiency for dye degradation under LED light.
• Ag3PO4/ZnFe2O4 catalyst could be easily separated from wastewater for reuse.
• The holes and superoxide radicals are the main reactive species in Ag3PO4/ZnFe2O4 system.

The magnetically separable Ag3PO4/ZnFe2O4 composite photocatalyst was successfully prepared by coupling a facile hydrothermal method with an in situ precipitation route. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) were employed to characterize the as-obtained catalyst. Under the energy-efficient visible LED light illumination, the photocatalytic activity of Ag3PO4/ZnFe2O4 composite was gradually enhanced with increasing Ag3PO4 content for methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) degradation. The Ag3PO4/ZnFe2O4 photocatalyst exhibited the best photoactivity in the neutral solution and had a high phtotocatalytic efficiency in the basic condition. By applying an external magnetic field, the Ag3PO4/ZnFe2O4 composite could be easily separated for reuse. In Ag3PO4/ZnFe2O4 system, the holes (h+) and superoxide radicals (O2−) are the main reactive species in the degradation of dye under visible light irradiation.

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