| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46473 | Applied Catalysis B: Environmental | 2012 | 8 Pages |
A straightforward strategy was designed for the fabrication of magnetically separable CoFe2O4-graphene photocatalysts with differing graphene content. It is very interesting that the combination of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles with graphene results in a dramatic conversion of the inert CoFe2O4 into a highly active catalyst for the degradation of methylene blue (MB), Rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange (MO), active black BL-G and active red RGB under visible-light irradiation. The significant enhancement in photoactivity under visible-light irradiation can be ascribed to reduction of graphene oxide, because the photogenerated electrons of CoFe2O4 can transfer easily from the conduction band to the reduced graphene oxide, effectively preventing a direct recombination of electrons and holes. Hydroxyl radicals play the role of main oxidant in the CoFe2O4-graphene system and the radicals’ oxidation reaction is obviously dominant. CoFe2O4 nanoparticles themselves have a strong magnetic property, which can be used for magnetic separation in a suspension system, and therefore the introduction of additional magnetic supports is no longer necessary.
Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► A magnetically separable CoFe2O4-graphene photocatalyst was successfully synthesized. ► The combination of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles with graphene results in a dramatic conversion of the inert CoFe2O4 into a highly active catalyst for the degradation of organic dyes. ► The significant enhancement in photoactivity under visible-light irradiation can be ascribed to reduction of graphene oxide.
