Synthesis, Characterization and Photocatalytic Application of GO/Fe3O4 Nanocomposite

Magnetic nanocomposites are being widely used to increase the recovery rate of the photocatalysts. Magnetite (Fe3O4) and Graphene Oxide (GO) nanocomposites can prove to be promising in degrading the organic dyes and reduce the water pollution. Photocatalysis has been used for the treatment of waste water and has proved to be promising for solving environmental remediation effectively. To improve the recovery rate of photocatalysts and increase the reusability of photocatalysts, magnetic nanocomposite of GO/Fe3O4 was used. Modified hummer’s method was employed to prepare Graphene Oxide (GO) and the nanocomposite of GO/Fe3O4 was prepared using hydrothermal process. The structural and morphological characteristics were studied using XRD, FTIR, FESEM and UV–VIS spectrophotometer. XRD results demonstrated that nanocomposite had formed and the formation of spinel structure of Fe3O4. The presence of functional groups was examined using FTIR Spectroscopy. FESEM gave the confirmation of cubic structure of Fe3O4 at different magnifications. Bandgap of synthesized nanocomposite was calculated using absorbance through UV–VIS spectrophotometer. Finally, photocatalytic degradation of organic methyl orange dye was studied.