Ternary P25–graphene–Fe 3 O 4 nanocomposite as a magnetically recyclable hybrid for photodegradation of dyes

Abstract A ternary P25–graphene–Fe 3 O 4 (PGF) magnetic nanocomposite has been successfully synthesized by decorating P25 and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles on the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) through a facile solvothermal reaction and its ability to photodegrade organic dyes in aqueous solutions was investigated. The as-synthesized sample exhibits high photocatalytic activity toward various dyes and can be easily recycled by normal magnet due to the existence of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles. Furthermore, owing to the presence of RGO, the photo-dissolution behavior of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles occurring in the TiO 2 –Fe 3 O 4 binary nanocomposites can be suppressed effectively, which increase the durability of such a recollectable photocatalyst. In addition, the PGF nanocomposite can work well under the acid pH conditions and also can photodegrade the mixtures of various dyes. These advantages make the PGF ternary composite an excellent photocatalyst use in practical wastewater treatment.