Synthesis of a Fe3O4-rGO-ZnO-catalyzed photo-Fenton system with enhanced photocatalytic performance

In this work, we designed a magnetically-separable Fe3O4-rGO-ZnO ternary catalyst, ZnO anchored on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-wrapped Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles, where rGO, as an effective interlayer, can enhance the synergistic effect between ZnO and Fe3O4. The effects of three operational parameters, namely irradiation time, hydrogen peroxide dosage, and the catalyst dosage, on the photo-Fenton degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange were investigated. The results showed that the Fe3O4-rGOZnO had great potential for the destruction of organic compounds from wastewater using the Fenton chemical oxidation method at neutral pH. Repeatability of the photocatalytic activity after 5 cycles showed only a tiny drop in the catalytic efficiency.