Rapid Removal of Organic Pollutants from Aqueous Systems under Solar Irradiation Using ZrO2/Fe3O4 Nanoparticles

Abstract

Pure water scarcity is an emerging, all-around problem that globally affects both the life quality and the world’s economy. Heterogeneous photocatalysis under solar irradiation is a promising technique for the organic pollutants (e.g., pesticides, drugs) removal from an aqueous environment. Furthermore, the drawbacks of commercially available photocatalysts can be successfully overcome by using innovative nanoparticles, such as ZrO2/Fe3O4. Four ZrO2/Fe3O4 nanopowders with a different mass ratio of ZrO2 and Fe3O4 were synthesized using the chemical co-precipitation method. XRD analysis showed the presence of magnetite and hematite Fe-oxide phases in all samples. The content of the magnetite phase increased with the addition of 19% ZrO2. The efficiency of the newly synthesized ZrO2/Fe3O4 nanoparticles was investigated in the rapid removal of selected pollutants under various experimental conditions. Nevertheless, the influence of the water matrix on photocatalytic degradation was also examined. The obtained data showed that using ZrO2/Fe3O4 nanosystems, an appropriate removal rate of the selected pesticides and pharmaceuticals can be reached after 120 min of solar irradiation. Further, the total organic carbon measurements proved the mineralization of the target emerging pollutants. ZrO2/Fe3O4 nanoparticles are economically feasible, as their removal from the suspension can be easily achieved using affordable, environmentally-friendly magnetic separation.

One-Step Synthesis of Ag2O/Fe3O4 Magnetic Photocatalyst for Efficient Organic Pollutant Removal via Wide-Spectral-Response Photocatalysis–Fenton Coupling

“…Ag 2 O exhibits strong absorption in the ultraviolet and near-ultraviolet regions, with a peak at a wavelength of 500 nm [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Fe 3 O 4 exhibits a strong optical response across the whole examined spectral range, indicating that the strong visible light-absorption capability of Ag 2 O/Fe 3 O 4 binary composite catalysts is undoubtedly due to the optical properties of Fe 3 O 4 [ 23 , 31 , 32 , 33 ]. Furthermore, compared with Ag 2 O, a gradual redshift was observed at the absorption edge of Ag 2 O/Fe 3 O 4 binary composite catalysts, and a significant increase in absorption was observed in the near-infrared region of 600–800 nm, indicating a strong interaction between Ag 2 O and Fe 3 O 4 in the binary composite catalyst.…”

“…Another advantage of selecting Fe 3 O 4 is that it contains both Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ ions, facilitating the continuous progress of the Fenton reaction. Consequently, numerous researchers have employed Fe 3 O 4 as a cocatalyst in the photocatalyst system [ 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ].…”

Preparation and Application of Magnetic Composites Using Controllable Assembly for Use in Water Treatment: A Review

“…Regardless of the co-precipitation or hydrothermal methods, the morphology, particle size, and other physicochemical properties of the resulting nano-Fe 3 O 4 are influenced by factors such as the reaction precursors, temperature, and reaction time [46,47]. The properties of the prepared Fe 3 O 4 particles vary depending on the chosen preparation technology and reaction conditions.…”