Ultrasound assisted synthesis of magnetic Fe3O4/ɑ-MnO2 nanocomposite for photodegradation of organic dye

An ultrasound assisted method for synthesis of magnetic Fe3O4/ɑ-MnO2 nanocomposite has been investigated. The synthesized Fe3O4/ɑ-MnO2 nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray Diffraction, UV–vis spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis. The photocatalytic property of the nanocomposite was tested by analyzing degradation of crystal violet in the presence of solar and UV–vis irradiation. The optimum conditions for the photocatalytic process were determined. Fe3O4/ɑ-MnO2 nanocomposite photocatalyst was easily recovered through magnetic separation. The reusability of the catalyst was also explored. The results demonstrated ∼100 % photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet dye under solar irradiation and UV–vis irradiation within 70 min and 50 min respectively at pH 9. The experimental data fitted well with Lagergren’s first order reaction.