Assembly of coral-like delafossite-structured AgFeO2 with a polypyrrole framework for improved photocatalytic treatment of trypan blue dye

In this study, we report the synthesis, structural, and photocatalytic analyses of a polypyrrole-integrated delafossite-structured silver-iron oxide (PPy@AgFeO2) composite. Silver-iron oxide (AgFeO2) was synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method, followed by the incorporation of AgFeO2 into a polypyrrole (PPy) matrix through chemical polymerization. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the formation of AgFeO2 with a hexagonal crystal system. Morphological studies revealed an intricate and interconnected coral-like structure for AgFeO2 that later merged with the PPy matrix, resulting in a well-integrated PPy@AgFeO2 composite. The BET surface area of PPy@AgFeO2 was determined to be 75.6 m2g-1 , which was greater than that of pure AgFeO2 (63.8 m2g-1 ). For photocatalytic applications, compared with AgFeO2, the PPy@AgFeO2 composite demonstrated superior photodegradation performance, achieving 100 % degradation of trypan blue dye within 56 min under visible light irradiation, with a rate constant of 0.038 min-1 . The incorporation of PPy into the composite played a crucial role in inhibiting charge recombination, reducing photo-corrosion, enhancing visible light absorption, and improving charge transfer. The synergistic properties of PPy, including its electron-capturing ability, broad It-conjugation, and intrinsic conductivity, combined with the catalytic activity of AgFeO2, make PPy@AgFeO2 an efficient photocatalyst. A comprehensive study on the effects of pH and temperature on photocatalytic performance revealed that the PPy@AgFeO2 composite exhibited maximum photocatalytic efficiency at an optimal pH of 4 and a temperature of 30 degrees C. Furthermore, scavenging and cycling experiments revealed the active species (*OH and O 2-* ) responsible for dye degradation and the sufficient stability of PPy@AgFeO2 for up to five cycles.