Synergistic effect of magnetite and carbonous materials incorporated with iron (III)-doped ZnO on the photodegradation of organic dyes

Fe-doped ZnO (Fe:ZnO) was combined with both magnetite (Fe₃O₄) and carbonous materials (graphene) using a co-precipitation method to form Fe:ZnO/G/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites with various weight ratios (1:0, 1:0.05, 1:0.1, 1:0.3, 1:0.5, and 1:1). These nanocomposites were characterized using different methods of measurements; such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to record the absorption spectra of certain functional groups, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy to identify the structure of the samples, and thermogravimetric analysis to study the loss in samples' weight under increasing temperature. The magnetite and carbonous materials were used to support Fe:ZnO in the photodegradation of methylene blue dye, as a representation of organic dyes. The photocatalytic activity was examined under ultra violet (UV) light irradiation. The effects of Fe:ZnO/G:Fe₃O₄ ratio, scavenger addition, and catalyst dosage on the photocatalytic activity were also studied. Finally, the reusability of the catalyst was examined and proved.