Engineering of magnetically separable ZnFe2O4@ TiO2 nanofibers for dye-sensitized solar cells and removal of pollutant from water

Abstract

In this study, magnetic Zinc Ferrite (ZnFe 2 O 4 )@TiO 2 nanofibers were prepared by low cost and nontoxic route; hydrothermal technique followed by electrospinning process. The prepared magnetic ZnFe 2 O 4 @TiO 2 nanofibers were morphologically and structurally analyzed by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The prepared magnetic ZnFe 2 O 4 @TiO 2 nanofibers were utilized as photoanode for the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and presented applicable performance with 4.2% overall conversion efficiency with high short circuit current density (J SC ) of 10.16 mA/cm 2 . The maximum ∼42% incident photo-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) value was also recorded at 520 nm. In addition, ZnFe 2 O 4 @TiO 2 nanofibers were not only possessed the good conversion efficiency, but also shown excellent photocatalytic efficiency with magnetic properties towards the dye remediation. Prepared ZnFe 2 O 4 @TiO 2 nanofibers can be considered as a promising material for energy conversion and environmental applications.

Surfactant/organic solvent free single-step engineering of hybrid graphene-Pt/TiO2 nanostructure: Efficient photocatalytic system for the treatment of wastewater coming from textile industries

“…6(B) shows the comparative study of the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dyes over the blank, TiO 2 , graphene and hybrid graphene-Pt/TiO 2 nanostructure. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency was calculated using the following formula 4 . where C 0 and C t are the initial and final concentration based on the absorbance intensity of the sample at a specific time interval.…”

“…While photocatalytic activity investigation of synthesized hybrid graphene-Pt/TiO 2 nanostructure was evaluated under natural environment on sunny day at average ambient temperature and mean daily global solar radiation, of about 22–25 °C and 374.9 mWh/cm 2 , respectively in January between 12:00 p.m. to 02:00 p.m. by degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye solution. The procedure used for photocatalytic investigation of synthesized hybrid graphene-Pt/TiO 2 nanostructure in this study has followed according to our previous studies 4 – 6 .…”

“…Consequently, the synthetic dyestuffs have become typical industrial organic pollutants during textile dyeing and printing processes 3 . One of these dyes, Methylene blue (MB) is a photoactive basic aniline dye that is not only toxic but also causes serious ecological problems and damage the marine life 4 . Therefore, the removal or degradation of heterocyclic organics pollutants has gradually become hot topics for textile industrialists.…”

Composite Nanofibers: Recent Progress in Adsorptive Removal and Photocatalytic Degradation of Dyes

“…The doping with other semiconductors has also demonstrated the enhancement in photocatalytic efficiency. Magnetic ZnFe 2 O 4 with a small bandgap of 1.9 eV was successfully integrated into TiO 2 nanofibers by hydrothermal technique; the composite nanofibers promote the photoresponse under a broader region of solar light than TiO 2 [50].…”

CePd‐Nanoparticles‐Incorporated Carbon Nanofibers as Efficient Counter Electrode for DSSCs

“…With the ultimate rising demand for sustainable energy, the solar cells especially, dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted considerable attention because of the merits of low production cost, simple assembly process, and high efficiency compared to conventional silicon solar cells . Classically, a DSSC is made up of 3 parts.…”