Magnetic CuFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles highly dispersed on coal-based activated carbons: a recoverable catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol, congo red, and rhodamine B

Abstract

Here, we report a simple co-precipitation and heat treatment routine for preparing CuFe2O4/activated carbons (AC) magnetic catalyst assisted by trisodium citrate (TSC), in which CuFe2O4 nanoparticles are uniformly distributed onto coal-derived activated carbons (AC). The CuFe2O4/AC nanocomposites exhibit brilliant catalytic performance for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) in comparison with previous reported catalysts. Furthermore, it was found that the nanocomposite can effectively degrade anionic and cationic dyes (rhodamine B and congo red) in wastewater. Importantly, the CuFe2O4/AC catalyst can be facilely separated by the external magnetic field and revealed favorable stability. The excellent catalytic activity of the CuFe2O4/AC catalyst can be mainly attributed to the synergistic coupling between the coal-based activated carbon (AC) with a high surface area and CuFe2O4 nanoparticles with a small size. The combination of co-precipitation and heat treatment can be applied in preparing other catalysts used in the industry.