Synthesis of Magnetically Separable Fe3O4/TiO2-Ag with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance under Visible Light for Degradation of Metanil Yellow

Synthesis of magnetic photocatalyst, Fe3O4/TiO2-Ag, with characterization and photoactivity examination have been investigated. Synthesis was initiated by the preparation of Fe3O4 particles using the coprecipitation method. Particles of Fe3O4 were then coated with TiO2-Ag, and weight ratios of concentrations of silver dopant were varied from 1, 3, 5, and 7%. Fe3O4/TiO2-Ag was characterized by FTIR, XRD, TEM, SEM-EDX, DR UV-visible, and VSM methods. Degradation of metanil yellow solution was performed under exposure to UV, visible light, and dark condition at optimum conditions. Diffraction peaks of Fe3O4 and anatase were presence on the X-ray diffractogram. Fe3O4/TiO2-Ag was responsive to visible light, according to DR UV-Vis spectra. Fe3O4/TiO2-Ag band gap energy was 2.49, 2.30, 2.00, and 2.46 eV, respectively, with dopant concentrations of 1, 3, 5, and 7%. Metanil yellow solution can be photodegraded for 180 min at a pH of 2.3. Fe3O4/TiO2-Ag has the highest ability to metanil yellow photodegradation with dopant concentration of 5%, giving degradation yields of 82.18% and 72.53% under UV and visible irradiation, respectively. With K values of 0.52 g mg-1 min-1 under visible light and 0.5255 g mg-1 min-1 under UV light, the degradation kinetics of metanil yellow dye followed Ho and McKay’s kinetic model. Fe3O4/TiO2-Ag material exhibited magnetic characteristics that could be applied under visible light and reused.