| MgFe2O4/MnO2 heterojunction with the synergistic effect of magnetic reparability and visible light-responsive photocatalytic material |
Jawad Ahmad Kamran1, Ismat Bibi1, Aamir Ghafoor1, Farzana Majid2, Shagufta Kamal3, Kashif Jilani4, Shazia Nouren5, Norah Alwadai6, Manikandan Ayyar7, Munawar Iqbal8
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1Institute of Chemistry, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
2Department of Physics, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
3Department of Biochemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
4Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
5Department of Chemistry, Government College Women University, Sialkot, Pakistan
6Department of Physics, College of Sciences, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, 11671, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
7Department of Chemistry, Centre for Material Chemistry, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641021, India
8School of Chemistry, University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan |
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Received: January 18, 2025; Revised: July 22, 2025 Accepted: July 31, 2025. Published online: August 18, 2025. |
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| ABSTRACT |
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MgFe2O4/MnO2 heterojunction with the synergistic effect of magnetic reparability and visible light-responsive photocatalytic material
Hybrid nanomaterials have recently gained attention for solar-light-driven removal of organic dyes from industrial wastewater. A pure MgFe2O4, MnO2, and a binary MgFe2O4/MnO2 (MF/MO) nanohybrid were synthesized using a Sol–Gel method for photocatalytic activity in methylene blue dye removal. Characterization via XRD, FTIR, VSM, PL, EIS, and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy and results revealed that the crystalline phase, magnetic, optical, and electrochemical properties of the hybrid material were significantly affected. Results showed preserved crystalline phases in all composites, with an average crystallite size of 39–91 nm. UV–Vis absorption revealed bandgap narrowing in composites, with MF/MO4 showing a minimum of 1.89 eV. PL analysis exhibited suppressed charge recombination, especially in MF/MO4, while VSM confirmed soft ferromagnetism suitable for magnetic recovery. EIS and transient photocurrent responses further verified improved charge separation and conductivity in MF/MO4. Under solar irradiation, MF/MO4 achieved 78.15% methylene blue degradation in 90 min, outperforming pure MFO (55.2%) and MO (64.1%), with the highest kinetic rate constant of 0.021 min-1. Optimum performance was observed at pH 8, 30 mg/L catalyst dose, and 20 mg/L dye concentration. The catalyst retained high stability over four cycles with minimal efficiency loss (from 95.7 to 90.6%) and preserved its phase structure. Trapping experiments identified •OH and e⁻ as dominant reactive species. This work highlights MF/MO4 as a robust, magnetically separable, and solar-active photocatalyst with strong potential for scalable wastewater treatment applications. |
| Key words:
MgFe2O4/MnO2 · Heterojunction · Magnetic properties · Photocatalytic activity · Solar light
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