TY - JOUR A1 - Baynosa, M. L. A1 - Mady, A. H. A1 - Nguyen, V. Q. A1 - Kumar, D. R. A1 - Sayed, M. S. A1 - Tuma, Dirk A1 - Shim, J.-J. T1 - Eco-friendly synthesis of recyclable mesoporous zinc ferrite@reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for efficient photocatalytic dye degradation under solar radiation JF - Journal of Colloid and Interface Science N2 - Zinc ferrite and graphene composites have attracted considerable attention in wastewater treatment. In this work, a magnetically separable mesoporous composite of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was prepared through a simple and eco-friendly method with pure water as solvent and without the need for subsequent thermal treatment. Uniformly dispersed ZnFe2O4 NPs on the surface of rGO sheets exhibited good crystallinity and a large BET specific surface area. These factors contributed to good photocatalytic performance of the composite for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under simulated solar-light radiation, increased adsorptivity, increased separation efficiency of the photo-excited charges on the surface of the catalyst, and broadened light-absorption range of the composite. Efficient interfacial interaction between the ZnFe2O4 NPs and rGO sheets resulted in synergistic effects. The magnetically separable ZnFe2O4@rGO nanocomposite proved an efficient and stable catalyst in three consecutive photodegradation cycles for MB dye in aqueous solution under solar radiation. In addition, the synthesis method proposed in this study could be scaled-up easily due to the simplicity of the process, the lack of a toxic reagent, and the use of low temperatures. KW - Zinc ferrite KW - Reduced graphene oxide KW - Nanocomposite KW - Wastewater PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2019.11.018 SN - 0021-9797 VL - 561 SP - 459 EP - 469 PB - Elsevier B. V. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-50211 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nguyen, V. Q. A1 - Baynosa, M. L. A1 - Nguyen, V. H. A1 - Tuma, Dirk A1 - Lee, Y. R. A1 - Shim, J.-J. T1 - Solvent-driven morphology-controlled synthesis of highly efficient long-life ZnO/graphene nanocomposite photocatalysts for the practical degradation of organic wastewater under solar light JF - Applied Surface Science N2 - Metal oxide/graphene photocatalysts have been attracting considerable attention in solving environmental pollution problems because of the limitations of the semiconductor-based photocatalysts. In this study, highly efficient and inexpensive zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles with three different morphologies, such as nanospheres, nanodisks, and nanorods, anchored on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) were synthesized in solvent mixtures with different ethanol to water ratios. Among the three morphologies, the nanospherical ZnO/RGO (sZG) Composite exhibited the highest methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B removal efficiencies at 99% and 98%, respectively, after only 60 min under low-power (40 W) ultraviolet irradiation at a low catalyst loading of 0.1 g L−1. This nanocomposite also showed excellent photocatalytic stability under UV irradiation, retaining 96% Efficiency even after 15 cycles of MB degradation. Moreover, the sZG composite exhibited a high MB degradation Efficiency of approximately 99% after 100 min at a low catalyst loading of 0.2 g L−1 under solar light illumination. The excellent photocatalytic performance and high stability of this low-cost nanospherical ZnO/RGO Composite exemplarily highlights the potential of sustainable next-generation photocatalysis for treating wastewater containing organic pollutants. KW - Nanocomposite KW - Photocatalyst KW - Dye degradation PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2019.03.262 SN - 0169-4332 SN - 1873-5584 VL - 486 SP - 37 EP - 51 PB - Elsevier B. V. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-48081 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mady, A. H. A1 - Baynosa, M. L. A1 - Tuma, Dirk A1 - Shim, J.-J. T1 - Heterogeneous activation of peroxymonosulfate by a novel magnetic 3D gamma- MnO2@ZnFe2O4/rGO nanohybrid as a robust catalyst for phenol degradation JF - Applied Catalysis B: Environmental N2 - Three-dimensional (3D) γ-MnO2@ZnFe2O4/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanohybrids were synthesized using a one-pot hydrothermal self-assembly method. The morphology and properties of the nanohybrids were investigated. The synergistic interactions among γ-MnO2, ZnFe2O4, and rGO resulted in 3D nanoflakes distributed uniformly in the rGO structure with a thickness of approximately 2–5 nm, leading to a high surface area. The nanohybrid containing 10 wt. % rGO exhibited superior catalytic activities for phenol degradation through the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to generate active sulfate radicals (SO4 •–). Typically, 50 mL of a 20 ppm phenol solution was degraded completely and 85% of the carbon content had been mineralized in 30 min at 25 °C using 10 mg of the nanohybrid. The nanohybrid could be recovered easily using a magnet and reused, maintaining high stability during catalytic oxidation. The 3D γ-MnO2@ZnFe2O4/rGO nanohybrid catalyst could be applied to the removal of hard-to-degrade waste materials owing to its high efficiency and excellent reusability. KW - Graphene KW - Nanohybrid KW - Degradation PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2018.11.086 SN - 0926-3373 SN - 1873-3883 VL - 244 SP - 946 EP - 956 PB - Elsevier BV CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-47134 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mady, A. H. A1 - Baynosa, M. L. A1 - Tuma, Dirk A1 - Shim, J.-J. T1 - Facile microwave-assisted green synthesis of Ag-ZnFe2O4@rGO nanocomposites for efficient removal of organic dyes under UV- and visible-light irradiation JF - Applied Catalysis B: Environmental N2 - Nanocomposites of Ag-ZnFe2O4@reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were synthesized using a one-pot microwave-assisted self-assembly method. The morphology and structure of the Ag-ZnFe2O4@rGO nanocomposites were characterized. The nanocomposites formed with 15.2 wt% rGO showed excellent adsorption properties and high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RhB), and methyl orange (MO). The synergistic interactions between Ag, ZnFe2O4, and rGO decreased the aggregation of the nanoparticles (NPs) and increased the surface area, resulting in better absorption in both UV and visible light. Such a structure was helpful for separating the photoexcited electron-hole pairs and accelerating electron transfer. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed a smaller resistance in the solid-state interface layer and charge transfer on the composite surface than that of the bare ZnFe2O4 NPs and ZnFe2O4@rGO nanocomposite. The Ag-ZnFe2O4@rGO nanocomposite could be recovered easily by a magnet and reused five times with no significant decrease in photocatalytic activity. The as-prepared Ag-ZnFe2O4@rGO nanocomposite catalyst could be applied to the removal of hard-to-degrade waste materials owing to its high efficiency in both UV and visible light and its excellent reusability. KW - nanoparticles KW - microwave synthesis KW - photocatalysis PY - 2017 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2016.10.033 SN - 0926-3373 SN - 1873-3883 VL - 203 SP - 416 EP - 427 PB - Elsevier B. V. CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-37962 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -