Synergistic effect of silver NPs immobilized on Fe3O4@L-proline magnetic nanocomposite toward the photocatalytic degradation of Victoria blue and reduction of organic pollutants

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 30; no. 32; pp. 78891 - 78912
• Main Authors: Ahmad, Iftkhar, Abbasi, Arshiya, El Bahy, Zeinhom M., Ikram, Saiqa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.07.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Azo dyes; Catalytic activity; Chemical reduction; coprecipitation; Dispersion; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; electron microscopy; energy-dispersive X-ray analysis; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental cleanup; Environmental Health; Environmental science; equations; Fourier transforms; Immobilization; Iron oxides; Linear equations; Magnetic measurement; magnetism; Magnetite; Nanocatalysis; nanocatalysts; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; nanosilver; photocatalysis; Photodegradation; Photoelectron spectroscopy; Photoelectrons; Pollutants; Proline; Rate constants; Recyclability; remediation; Research Article; Scanning electron microscopy; Silver; Spectrum analysis; Stabilizers (agents); synergism; Synergistic effect; Ultraviolet spectroscopy; ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; X-ray diffraction; X-ray spectroscopy; Kinetic study; Photocatalytic degradation; Nanocatalyst; Reduction
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27837-x

The surface of magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) nanoparticles was subject to modification through the incorporation of L-proline (LP) by simple co-precipitation method in which silver nanoparticles were deposited by in situ method, thereby yielding the Fe 3 O 4 @LP-Ag nanocatalyst. The fabricated nanocatalyst was characterized using an array of techniques including Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results evince that the immobilization of LP on the Fe 3 O 4 magnetic support facilitated the dispersion and stabilization of Ag NPs. The SPION@LP-Ag nanophotocatalyst exhibited exceptional catalytic efficiency facilitating the reduction of MO, MB, p-NP, p-NA, NB, and CR in the presence of NaBH 4 . The rate constants obtained from the pseudo-first-order equation were 0.78, 0.41, 0.34, 0.27, 0.45, 0.44, and 0.34 min −1 for CR, p-NP, NB, MB, MO, and p-NA, respectively. Additionally, the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model was deemed the most probable mechanism for catalytic reduction. The novelty of this study lies in the use of L-proline immobilized on Fe 3 O 4 MNPs as a stabilizing agent for the in-situ deposition of silver nanoparticles, resulting in the synthesis of Fe 3 O 4 @LP-Ag nanocatalyst. This nanocatalyst exhibits high catalytic efficacy for the reduction of multiple organic pollutants and azo dyes, which can be attributed to the synergistic effects between the magnetic support and the catalytic activity of the silver nanoparticles. The easy recyclability and low cost of the Fe 3 O 4 @LP-Ag nanocatalyst further enhance its potential application in environmental remediation. Graphical Abstract