Direct Synthesis of Magnetic CoFe2O4 Nanoparticles as Recyclable Photo-Fenton Catalysts for Removing Organic Dyes

Herein, CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles were directly synthesized through a solution combustion method using ferric nitrate, cobalt nitrate, and glycine as raw materials. The effects of glycine on the phase composition and magnetic properties of the CoFe 2 O 4 products were investigated. When the fuel/ferric nitrate ratio was 0.8, the obtained product was pure CoFe 2 O 4 with an average particle size of 25 nm. Furthermore, the saturation magnetization is 77.3 emu/g, which is about 95.7% that of CoFe 2 O 4 bulk materials at room temperature and good for recycling. The photo-Fenton catalytic properties of CoFe 2 O 4 were investigated for assessing its efficacy in removing dyes. It could degrade the 20 ppm MB in 75 min. To improve the photo-Fenton catalytic performance, NH 4 HCO 3 and glucose were employed as additives. Due to the pores formed by NH 4 HCO 3 and glucose, the G-CoFe 2 O 4 and N-CoFe 2 O 4 could degrade the 20 ppm MB in 40 and 25 min, respectively. The results indicated that these additives can effectively improve the catalytic activity of CoFe 2 O 4 . The modified CoFe 2 O 4 is a promising alternative recyclable photo-Fenton catalyst for removing organic dyes.