Magnesium ferrite/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite and its photocatalytic application in pollutant degradation and fuel production

Subject Areas :

majid Ghanimati ^{1 *} , Mohsen Lashgari ^{2 *} , Vassilios Binas ³

1 - Department of Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan 45137-66731, Iran
2 - Department of Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan 45137-66731, Iran
3 - Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL), FORTH, Vasilika Vouton, GR-70013Heraklion, Greece

Received: 2023-05-10 Accepted : 2023-07-20 Published : 2023-08-23

Keywords: hydrogen production, Hydrogen Sulfide, Photocatalytic pollutants degradation, Magnesium ferrite/reduced graphene oxide, Methyl orange dye removal,

Abstract :

Preparation of effective nanocomposite energy materials using Earth-abundant elements and eco-friendly chemicals for application in photocatalytic degradation of hazardous materials and production of fuel is a sustainable strategy for pollutant removal and supplying hydrogen, the green/carbon-free fuel in modern world. In this article, the nanostructured magnesium ferrite (MgFe2O4) semiconductor was synthesized and employed for the production of hydrogen gas through the light-induced splitting of alkaline H2S solution and photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange–a refractory azo dye. Investigations revealed that the synthesized photocatalyst has the ability to destroy pollutant and produce hydrogen. To improve the photocatalyst activity, graphene oxide (GO) precursor was prepared through the modified Hummers method and utilized directly in the hydrothermal synthesis of MgFe2O4/rGO nanocomposite. The evidence showed that the presence of rGO (reduced graphene oxide) and the formation of nanocomposite can significantly increase the decolorization ability and hydrogen release in terms of enlarging the photocatalyst surface area, slowing down the electron-hole recombination, and enhancing photon absorption. The degradation efficiency was 84% [measured after one hour operation of the photoreactor] and the rate of hydrogen release was 5567 µmol/h [per gram of photocatalyst], indicated the good performance of the nanocomposite photocatalyst in pollutant removal and fuel production

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