Influence of Zn content on heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalytic performance of Zn-doped Fe₃O₄ for degradation of rhodamine B

Zn-doped Fe₃O₄ has been employed as a catalyst for the photo-Fenton process. At the present study, the influence of Zn content in the Zn-doped Fe₃O₄ on the catalytic activity for the photo-Fenton process was studied. Monodispersed Zn_xFe[Formula: see text]O₄ particles were facilely synthesized with higher surface area and several nm of diameter, where [Formula: see text], 0.4 and 1.0. Rhodamine B (Rh B), as one of the positive dyes, was selected as a model pollutant. The decolorization efficiency of the Fe₃O₄ ([Formula: see text]) for Rh B reached about 90% in 120[Formula: see text]min under visible light. The Zn content increase in the Zn-doped Fe₃O₄ inhibited the Fenton process. The higher molar ratio of Fe[Formula: see text] to Fe[Formula: see text], smaller band-gap, and more negative zeta potential of the Fe₃O₄ induced the most excellent photo-Fenton performance for the Rh B degradation.