Efficient photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet under natural sunlight using Fe3O4/ZnO nanoparticles embedded carboxylate-rich carbon

A novel photocatalyst of Fe3O4/ZnO nanoparticles embedded carboxylate-rich carbon (Fe3O4/ZnO/CRC) was developed, and its photocatalytic activity was evaluated for the degradation of crystal violet (CV) under natural sunlight. The CV (100 mL, 10 ppm) could be entirely degraded by Fe3O4/ZnO/CRC (75 mg) within 60 min. The O2 reactive species had the main contribution to CV degradation. The prepared photocatalyst displayed high stability after five cycles. Fe3O4/ZnO/CRC can be used as an effective sunlight-driven photocatalyst for dyes removal due to its simple preparation, high photocatalytic activity, easy separation, and good reusability.