Enhanced stability and photocatalytic performance of transition metal-doped ZnO with magnetite nanoparticle and zeolite

The combination of zeolite and transition metal-doped ZnO nanoparticles for improved electron and hole photogeneration and inhibited electron-hole recombination, due to the trapping states, has been studied in our previous work. However, the photocatalyst has not been separated and reused after successfully degrading the organic dye. Therefore, in this study, we incorporated four different variations of magnetite nanoparticles into zeolite-supported Fe-doped ZnO, using the co-precipitation method. The samples were characterized with the aid of various measurements, such as x-ray diffraction, infrared absorption, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and Burneur-Emment-Teller (BET). The photocatalytic activity of nanocomposites was examined by photodegradation of methylene blue under UV light irradiation. The results show that the presence of a certain amount of magnetite nanoparticles in a zeolite-supported Fe-doped ZnO nanocomposite improved its efficiency in degrading methylene blue. The role of charged carriers and the active radical involved in the photocatalytic activity is discussed.