Sustainable Removal of Phenol Dye-Containing Wastewater by Composite Incorporating ZnFe2O4/Nanocellulose Photocatalysts

Abstract

The escalating issue of phenol-containing wastewater necessitates the development of efficient and sustainable treatment methods. In this context, we present a novel composite photocatalyst comprising ZnFe2O4 (ZFO) nanoparticles supported on nanocellulose (NC), aimed at addressing this environmental challenge. The synthesis involved a facile hydrothermal method followed by the impregnation of ZFO nanoparticles onto the NC matrix. The morphology and structure of ZFO, NC, and ZFO/NC were investigated by TEM, SEM-EDX, UV–vis, FT-IR, XRD, and XPS analyses. ZFO, as a weakly magnetic semiconductor catalytic material, was utilized in photocatalytic experiments under magnetic field conditions. By controlling the electron spin states through the magnetic field, electron–hole recombination was suppressed, resulting in improved photocatalytic performance. The results demonstrated that 43% and 76% degradation was achieved after 120 min of irradiation due to ZFO and 0.5ZFO/NC treatment. Furthermore, the composite 0.5ZFO/NC demonstrated the highest photocatalytic efficiency, showing promising recyclability by maintaining its activity after three cycles of use. This study underscores the potential of the ZFO/NC composite for sustainable wastewater treatment, offering a promising avenue for environmental remediation.