Synthesis and photocatalysis of novel magnetic reduced graphene oxide-ZnFe 2 O 4 nanocomposites with highly efficient interface-induced effect

Interface-induced effect of nanocomposites are attracting many attentions because the potential advantages in environment decontamination. This work present the synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic activities of novel reduced graphene oxide-ZnFe 2 O 4 nanocomposites. The nanocomposites showed obviously greater sunlight-excited photocatalytic and Fenton-like photocatalytic activities than the nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activities enhanced with increasing rGO/ZnFe 2 O 4 ratio and related with initial pH and H 2 O 2 content. The good photocatalytic activities are ascribed to the interface charge transfer that is confirmed by optical conducitivity. Moreover, the nanoparticles and nanocomposites was ferromagnetic, thereby being magnetically separable. The nanocomposites also showed good adsorption ability to the dye, and so the remained dye and intermediates can be magnetically removed together with the reusable nanocomposites. Graphical abstract