A reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-supported
nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) photocatalyst was prepared
by a simple mechanical
ball-milling method. No additional solvents, toxic chemical reductants,
or ultrasonic or high-temperature heat treatments were needed. The
exfoliation and reduction of graphite oxide (GO) and the in
situ anchoring of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles
on graphene sheets were fulfilled simultaneously under the strong
shear force. The structure characterization shows that the NiFe2O4 nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on RGO
sheets. Amazingly, after coupling with an appropriate amount of RGO,
the photocatalytically inert NiFe2O4 exhibited
superior photodegradation performance and recycling stability for
the degradation of organic pollutant under visible-light irradiation
at room temperature. It suggested that the synergistic effect between
RGO and NiFe2O4 improved the photocatalytic
performance of the composite. Moreover, the NiFe2O4-RGO is magnetically separable for recycling. Hopefully, this
work could shed light on the environment-friendly large-scale production
of graphene-based composites through the efficient ball-milling method.
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