Premium
Fe 3 O 4 Anisotropic Nanostructures in Hydrogels: Efficient Catalysts for the Rapid Removal of Organic Dyes from Wastewater
Author(s) -
Gao Yang,
Hu Chen,
Zheng Wen Jiang,
Yang Sen,
Li Fei,
Sun Shao Dong,
Zrínyi Miklós,
Osada Yoshihito,
Yang Zhi Mao,
Chen Yong Mei
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.201600117
Subject(s) - nanorod , methylene blue , catalysis , nanostructure , cationic polymerization , nanocomposite , chemical engineering , chemistry , materials science , decomposition , nanotechnology , photocatalysis , organic chemistry , engineering
Abstract Fe 3 O 4 anisotropic nanostructures that exhibit excellent catalytic performance are rarely used to catalyze Fenton‐like reactions because of the inevitable drawbacks resulting from traditional preparation methods. In this study, a facile, nontoxic, water‐based approach is developed for directly regulating a series of anisotropic morphologies of Fe 3 O 4 nanostructures in a hydrogel matrix. In having the advantages of both the catalytic activity of Fe 3 O 4 and the adsorptive capacity of an anionic polymer network, the hybrid nanocomposites have the capability to effect the rapid removal of cationic dyes, such as methylene blue, from water samples. Perhaps more interestingly, hybrid nanocomposites loaded with Fe 3 O 4 nanorods exhibit the highest catalytic activity compared to those composed of nanoneedles and nanooctahedra, revealing the important role of nanostructure morphology. By means of scanning electrochemical microscopy, it is revealed that Fe 3 O 4 nanorods can efficiently catalyze H 2 O 2 decomposition and thus generate more free radicals ( . OH, . HO 2 ) for methylene blue degradation, which might account for their high catalytic activity.